Disgraced former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who became a heroic figure after the Sept. 11 attack and who almost became a member of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet, is headed off to prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen C. Robinson today sentenced Kerik to four years in prison on eight felonies, including lying to the White House and filing false taxes. The term, handed down in federal court in White Plains, N.Y., exceeded the 27 to 33 months the prosecution recommended under a plea agreement hammered out in November.
“I think it’s fair to say that with great power comes great responsibility and great consequences,” Robinson said, according to The New York Times. “I think the damage caused by Mr. Kerik is in some ways immeasurable.”
Kerik is scheduled to report to prison May 17. The prosecution had asked in court papers that he be remanded immediately to prison after sentencing, citing concerns he might become a fugitive.
The tough sentence probably came as little surprise to at least some who had observed Kerik’s legal problems with the judge.
