Kwame Kilpatrick indicted in city corruption probe along with dad, pals Ferguson and Miller

Today the federal government indicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, father Bernard Kilpatrick, the city contractor Bobby Ferguson, a former aide to Kilpatrick on Derrick Miller and former water department chief Victor Mercado as one part of the largest ever investigation into corruption in the city of Detroit.

U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a news release fee but does not provide an indictment or details. Officials have scheduled a news conference for 04:00

Miller and Ferguson also close friends of former mayor. Miller is a former basketball team Kilpatrick at Cass Technical High School and later worked for his mother, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Detroit). In 2002, Kwame Kilpatrick Miller was appointed as chief administrative officer.

Ferguson, who has a Detroit demolition and excavation company, became friends with Kilpatrick after Kilpatrick elected state representative in 1996. They socialized, ride motorcycles together and Kilpatrick designated as the tsarist cleaning the city Ferguson. In times of Kilpatrick's, Ferguson's business with the city increased dramatically.

Today's announcement followed the initial belief of some nearby Kilpatrick associates, including two brothers on his staff who is a childhood friend, and charges of fraud and tax evasion against former mayor himself.

Kilpatrick is currently in state prison on a separate platform: violating his probation on charges of perjury related to the text message scandal.

The federal probe of Detroit City Hall, was first reported by Free Press in 2008, has led to criminal charges against 20 people. Of those, 15 have been convicted of charges ranging from bribery to bid rigging, with many defendants cooperate with federal investigators.

Federal agencies also have expressed in previous cases that they wire-tapped phone and install hidden video equipment as part of their investigation.

People in Detroit corruption is so widespread that the agents over the years have been combing through various city departments and transactions. They include mud $ 1.2-billion transportation contract with Synagro Technologies, bribery at the Cobo Center convention facility, related to the Water and Sewerage Department failed Asian Village restaurant business and other public pension fund investments.

Until now, the government has netted 15 guilty pleas from various defendants, including former City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, wife of Congressman John Conyers long. He pleaded guilty last year took bribes to vote on Synagro sludge deal. He is now serving a 37-month prison sentence, as is her former aide, political consultant Sam Riddle, who also pleaded guilty to taking bribes and shaking down local businesses in return for political support.

Other new applications including Marc Andre Cunningham, a former executive assistant, and fraternity brother, Kilpatrick. Cunningham last month pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, admitting that he paid thousands of dollars relative to a city official for political assistance. Cunningham, 41, of Detroit is not the official name or a relative, but admitted in U.S. District Court in hearing a defense that he pays relatively minimal $ 15,000 as a gift to the officer, who has supported the pension fund deal for $ 30-million.

Public corruption probe has also been snared contractors, including Brian Dodds, co-owner of the company's earthmoving Howell, who admitted that he knew about the bid-rigging scheme involving Ferguson, but failed to notify authorities. On hearing the petition in October, Dodds said he submitted false bids and increase in demand for Ferguson to make it appear that Ferguson was the low bidder on the housing project, and gave misleading testimony to a grand jury. He will be sentenced Jan. 10 and faces up to six months in jail and fined $ 5,000.

A similar request made by Rodney Burrell, president and owner of Northville-based R & R Heavy haulers, who last month admitted knowing Ferguson's bid-rigging scheme, but also failed to report it. In the trial the defense was, Burrell admitted that in 2007, in the direction of Ferguson, he also submitted false bids to benefit Ferguson, who eventually won the contract to $ 11,900,000, according to court records. In exchange for cooperation and silent, Burrell company received approximately $ 188,000 from Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. for the transportation and trucking services in housing projects.

Burrell faces up to three years in prison, and fined $ 250,000. He will face a penalty March 7.

The jury issued an indictment today precisely at a time as the appointment of 36-month limit jury discharged December 31. If the indictment has not been issued, the federal government will need to request an extension or start from scratch with another jury.