45°
Kerik left the federal courthouse in White Plains with his lawyers this afternoon after U.S. District Judge Stephen Robinson said he would have to remain confined to his Franklin Lakes home while wearing an electronic mointoring device.
Kerik now gets to spend a bit more time in one of his favorite parts of the house: a home office that rivals nearly any museum. He also gets to spend time with his children, including two younger daughters and his son, Joseph, who is a Newark police officer.
By cutting a deal with the government last week, the iconic Kerik resolved three pending federal trials in all.
Although both sides agreed to a federal sentence of no more than two years, Robinson warned Kerik that he could deviate from the guidelines and put the onetime candidate for Homeland Security secretary behind bars for five years.
Kerik, who was police commissioner when New York was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, told the judge that he lied to the White House during the vetting process for his nomination by then-President Bush as secretary for Homeland Security in 2004.
He also said he would also admit to cheating the IRS, helping to prepare false tax returns and making other false statements to the federal government.
As part of his plea, he has agreed to file amended tax returns for 1999, 2003 and 2005.
Kerik this summer told CLIFFVIEW PILOT he was the victim of overzealous prosecutors out to make names for themselves: Travels with Bernie: Court of public opinion clears Kerik
Last month, the judge in the case revoked Kerik’s bail after the former police commissioner had given confidential court documents to someone who posted them online: Kerik, seething at prosecutors, now awaits trial in jail.
Two weeks ago, was released back into general custody after spending 10 days in the psychiatric unit at the Westchester County Jail. A doctor gave the judge a letter that Robinson made public about Kerik’s mental state: Bernie Kerik out of psych unit.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes and receive free news updates.
