Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik Pleads Guilty to Eight Felonies in White Plains Federal Court

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik Pleads Guilty to Eight
Felonies in White Plains Federal Court

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney
for the Southern District of New York, Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., the Assistant
Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI and Patricia J.
Haynes, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, Criminal
Investigation, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced today that Bernard B.
Kerik, former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and the
Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty in White Plains federal court to
eight felonies, two of which were separately charged in an indictment in the
District of Columbia.

Kerik pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen C. Robinson to: one
count of obstructing and impeding the due administration of the internal
revenue laws from 1999 to 2007, one count of aiding in the preparation of a
false tax return (for the 2000 tax year), one count of making a false
statement on a loan application and five counts of making false statements to
the federal government. Two of the false statement counts - the two counts
that Kerik also agreed to transfer to White Plains from Washington, D.C. -
relate to materially false statements that Kerik made to White House officials
vetting him for the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.

At today's plea hearing, Kerik admitted, among other things, that in 1999 and
2000, he received substantial renovations to his Riverdale apartment through
Interstate (a metropolitan area-contractor) and conceded that Interstate paid
approximately $255,000 for the renovations. Kerik also admitted that around
the same time, he contacted New York City regulators concerning Interstate.
Kerik further admitted that he failed to report the value of the renovations
he received through Interstate on his federal tax returns. And Kerik admitted
that he made false statements to the White House concerning the renovations he
received on his Riverdale apartment and his relationship with Interstate when
he was being vetted for the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.

"It is a sad day when the former chief law enforcement officer of New York
City pleads guilty to eight federal felonies," said U.S. Attorney Preet
Bharara. "But no one is above the law. And this office will not hesitate to
pursue any public official who violates his oath and betrays the public
trust."

Kerik, 54, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 61 years. Kerik has agreed
to pay restitution in the amount of $187,931 and is also subject to additional
fines.

Judge Robinson scheduled Kerik's sentencing for Feb.18, 2010 at 10 a.m.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the IRS Criminal Investigation
Division and the FBI. Mr. Bharara also thanked the New York City Department
of Investigation, the Bronx District Attorney's Office, the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District
of Columbia for their assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Jacobson, Perry A. Carbone and Michael S.
Bosworth are in charge of the prosecution.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

Herbert Hadad of the Office of United States Attorney Preet Bharara, Southern
District of New York, +1-914-993-1900