Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is expected to accept a plea bargain agreement on federal corruption charges that would put him behind bars for at least 27 months, according to published reports.
Kerik has until Thursday to waive his right to a trial and accept the deal, ABC News is reporting,
Jury selection for Kerik's first trial has been scheduled to begin on Nov. 9. The corruption charge facing him in that trial stems from renovations to Kerik's apartment while he was New York City corrections commissioner in 1999. Prosecutors allege that a New Jersey construction company gave him a lowball price on the apartment work in the hope that he would help the firm gain city permits.
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He has also been charged with hiding income from the IRS, and lying to federal officials while being considered to head the Homeland Security Department.
If convicted of all charges, he would face 20 years in prison, according to the New York Post, which is also reporting the plea bargain deal.
ABC disclosed that "it now appears Kerik will plead guilty to at least one of the corruption charges leveled against him," while the Post asserts that the plea will cover all charges he faces and send him to prison for 27 to 33 months.
On Oct. 19, District Court Judge Stephen Robinson revoked Kerik's $500,000 bail and sent him to jail to await trial. Robinson said Kerik disclosed sealed case information to the trustee of his legal defense fund. The trustee leaked some of the secret information to The Washington Times, which didn't publish it.
Kerik had rejected an earlier plea deal and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges against him.
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