Ex-Mayor's Crony Gets 100 Years To Pay Back Debt Connected To Kickbacks, Tax Evasion
DETROIT (WWJ) - A longtime friend of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, has been given 100 years to repay thousands in back taxes to the IRS.
Judge Nancy Edmunds ordered Derrick Miller to pay $200 a month until he's paid back $240,000 dollars.
Attorney Byron Pitts represents Miller and spoke with WWJ's Stephanie Davis.
"We accept as we did her sentence, we accept her ruling regarding restitution with humility and grace and plan to abide by it."
A former high school classmate of Kilpatrick, Miller, now 44, worked as the city's chief administrative officer.
Miller, who was a key witness for the prosecution in Kilpatrick's corruption trial, pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks and failing to report thousands of kickback cash on his tax return.
"We feel the judge's ruling was fair," said Pitts. "My client and I both feel that Judge Edmunds has been extraordinarily fair."
He was sentenced to 12 months in halfway house.
"Ultimately his placement is up to the bureau of prisons, said Pitts.
Pitts says his client is working, although he would not say where and that they have requested that Miller serve out his time at a half-way house nearby where he now resides in Virginia.
During testimony in the Kilpatrick trail in early 2013:
Miller said looking out for the interests of a contractor was a regular part of his job ... A prosecutor took Miller through text messages in which contractor Bobby Ferguson knocks his demolition competitors. Kilpatrick' text response was "Cool!"
Demolition projects were a priority in city government, according to testimony. Demolition company owner John Adamo appealed to Miller to get work that he said he wasn't getting.
"He didn't explain why he was appealing to Miller," said WWJ reporter Vickie Thomas, during the trial.
Miller toured Adamo's facility and then spoke to the mayor about it, reporting that Adamo felt Ferguson was bad mouthing him and interfering in his business, trying to get money and contracts. Ferguson told Miller there was "bad blood" with Adamo and he shouldn't be trusted, per testimony [READ RELATED HERE].
