DETROIT (WWJ) — Kwame Kilpatrick went from being the future of Detroit to one of the city’s most notable felons.
While Kilpatrick’s prison sentence was commuted three years ago, he still owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution following his conviction of numerous felonies, including federal racketeering and defrauding taxpayers.
Kilpatrick is back in the headlines this week after federal prosecutors discovered more than $6,700 belonging to the former Detroit mayor that they want applied towards his restitution. On a new Daily J podcast, WWJ’s Zach Clark wonders what it will take for Kilpatrick to clear his debt.
Former federal prosecutor Rick Convertino says the prosecution — the US Attorney’s Office, in this case — and their forfeiture division has “scoured the records for any funds that were set aside or hidden or otherwise placed in a third party account.”
“And they do a real good job of this — they’re vigorous and relentless — and they have come across some funds in the State of Michigan’s treasury that they’re pursuing now towards the restitution,” Convertino said.
WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton says Kilpatrick — who has reportedly been paying the minimum monthly requirement of $150 towards his more than $800,000 remaining restitution — “has the most to lose” by not paying off his debt.
“Kwame Kilpatrick better pay up or he’s gonna end himself back up in prison,” Langton said. “If he doesn’t pay his restitution, he could go back to prison. In other words, if he’s making money and not paying the appropriate amount, that prison will open right back up and he’ll be right back in there.”
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