Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will spend the weekend in prison after 14 parole violations were filed against him. Kilpatrick chose to forgo the formal parole violation process, landing him behind bars until Monday morning, according to a statement from Michigan Department of Corrections Spokesman Russell Marlan. The former mayor will surrender into custody Friday afternoon, after appearing at his trial for public corruption.
Kilpatrick has been on parole since August 2011, having served 14 months in prison for obstruction of justice. He still owes the city of Detroit $855,000 in restitution, and his ongoing trial carries 38 additional indictments. Before his resignation in 2008, Kilpatrick was allegedly involved in the mishandling of over $100 million in city contracts. His father Bernard and friend Bobby Ferguson are co-defendants in the federal case.
Earlier this month Kilpatrick told CBS Detroit that he believes he has been cooperative throughout his parole. Though he admitted submitting restitution payments late, he denied any wrongdoing. As a condition of his parole, Kilpatrick has been barred from leaving the city, preventing him from visiting his wife and three children in Texas.
“I’m hopeful that it’s a fair and just investigation. I’m cooperating however I can, and I’m hopeful and prayerful that I can get back to my sons and my wife as soon as possible,” he told CBS.
Rumors of possible parole violations arose in December, when Kilpatrick was called to a Wayne County Circuit Court for an undisclosed reason. At the time, Kilpatrick was accused of violating the terms of his parole by Wayne County Prosecutor Maria Miller, after missing a restitution payment and failing to record his required community service hours. In his email, Marlan detailed Kilpatrick’s various infringements, including unreported money transfers and inaccurate income filing.
Detroit officials believe that Kilpatrick may be hiding assets as he continues to stand trial. Proceeds from Kilpatrick’s memoir are currently being used to pay back his debt to the city, leaving public appearances as Kilpatrick’s main source of income.
