Finally…. Justice is starting to be served here in Detroit.

There is news of it from all over the place in Detroit.

First Video from WXYZ-TV in Detroit:

Next Video from FOX 2 in Detroit:

Update: Here is that actual presser announcing said charges against all involved:

Here are the actual pages of the indictment itself: (via WDIV-TV)

READ PAGES 1-8 of Federal Indictment: Kilpatrick Charged With Conspiracy, Fraud, Extortion

READ PAGES 9-16 of Federal Indictment: Kwame Federal Indictment: Pages 9-16

READ PAGES 17-25 of Federal Indictment: Kwame Federal Indictment: Pages 17-25

READ PAGES 25-32 of Federal Indictment: Kwame Federal Indictment: Pages 25-32

READ PAGES 33-40 of Federal Indictment: Kwame Federal Indictment: Pages 33-40

READ PAGES 41-48 of Federal Indictment: Kwame Federal Indictment: Pages 41-48

I think it would be fair to point out that Kwame Kilpatrick was and still is a REGISTERED DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBER!

The Detroit Free Press reports:

A federal grand jury today indicted former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father and three former top aides on racketeering charges, accusing them of turning the mayor’s office into a criminal enterprise to enrich themselves, families and friends. Besides the now-jailed former mayor, the 38-count indictment names his father, Bernard Kilpatrick, city contractor Bobby Ferguson, former top Kilpatrick aide Derrick Miller and former water department chief Victor Mercado in one of the largest public corruption investigations ever in the City of Detroit. The indictment outlined four general areas of misconduct. It said the defendants extorted money from municipal contractors, state and non-profit donors and engaged in bribery and extortion involving other public contracts and investments. The indictment said that Ferguson kicked back at least $424,000 in cash and other items of value to the mayor and that Kilpatrick used more than $590,000 in cash derived from the conspiracy to pay his credit card bills, purchase cashier’s checks and clothing and repay loans. Bernard Kilpatrick, the indictment said, deposited more than $600,000 in cash into his personal bank accounts. He was charged with three counts of filing false tax returns for calendar years 2004, 21005 and 2007. The penalties for the charges laid out in the indictment range from three to 30 year in prison.

I believe it also would be fair to point out that this is what happens when you have the mentality THAT YOU ARE BLACK AND THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED! This sort of mentality, for what it is worth; dates back to the days of the Coleman A. Young administration. The difference is that Kwame was not able to pay the feds off, like Mayor Young was able to do. Further more, from what I heard at the presser, that Kwame and friends were even doing this sort of that back when Kwame was a state representative.

The Detroit News Reports the list of people, besides Kilpatrick, who have been charged…..so far:

Karl Kado: The former Cobo contractor, who has said in sworn testimony he made illegal cash payments to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, remains a key government witness and got three years probation. Glenn Blanton: The former Cobo Center director who admitted taking illegal payments from Kado was sentenced to one year in prison for obstruction of justice. Lou Pavledes: Another former Cobo director who admitted taking bribes from Kado, Pavledes got 14 months for a banking offense. James R. Rosendall Jr.: The former Synagro Technologies Inc. vice president became an FBI informant and got 11 months for bribery. Rayford W. Jackson: The Detroit businessman who was Synagro’s local partner is serving a five-year sentence for bribery. Monica Conyers: The former Detroit city councilwoman who cast the deciding vote in favor of the $1.2 billion Synagro deal was sentenced to 37 months in prison for bribery. Jerry M. Rivers: A former member of the mayor’s executive protection unit, Rivers pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a city land sale and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Kandia Milton: A childhood friend and top aide to Kilpatrick, Milton pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with the city’s sale of Camp Brighton and was sentenced to 14 months in prison. DeDan Milton: Another longtime friend of Kilpatrick, who like his brother is cooperating with prosecutors, is to be sentenced to 42 months in prison for bribery. Sam Riddle: The political consultant and former top aide to Monica Conyers pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge in May and was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Mary Waters: Pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax charge in May in connection with the Southfield case and was sentenced to one year of probation. William Lattimore: The former Southfield city councilman pleaded guilty to bribery after he was picked up on a wiretap of Riddle’s cell phone. Lattimore was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Marc Andre Cunningham: A former aide to Kilpatrick, he pleaded guilty to a bribery charge in November and awaits sentencing Feb. 10. Brian Dodds: Co-owner of Howell-based D&R Earthmoving LLC, he pleaded guilty to concealing a crime in connection with an inflated contract Kilpatrick pal Bobby Ferguson received. He is to be sentenced Jan. 10. Ferguson has been indicted on multiple counts and awaits trial. Rodney Burrell: The head of Northville-based R&R Heavy Haulers pleaded guilty to concealing a crime in connection with the same bid-rigging on the Ferguson contract. He is to be sentenced in March.

Hopefully and I do mean hopefully; this will send a message to anyone who seeks office in the city of Detroit — that if you run for public office and you decide to break the law, that you will be caught and you will be charged and that you will end up and jail.

Although, I will not lie to you; I have sinking suspicion that somebody somewhere, will play the race card and point out that the people filing these charges are mostly White and latino and will somehow or another convince a judge to throw out the case. I do truly hope that I am wrong about this, I really do. Because Detroit has been rife with corruption for much, much too damned long. Many people, for many, many years have gotten very wealthy by corrupt means in Detroit for much too long —- while the rest of the City of Detroit falls into ruin. It is morally wrong and these turkeys that broke the law ought be jailed for the longest terms possible.

Hopefully, and I mean this one, with all the sincerity that I can muster — as a former resident of that city — this will close the chapter of the culture of corruption in that City and that the City of Detroit can finally, and I do mean finally get on with the business of restoring that City to its once great status. This might be a small step, but it is a very important one and God-willing it will be the first big one.