Home for the Holidays: Disgraced NYC Police Commissioner Gets Bail

Nov. 10, 2009— -- The man once dubbed "America's Police Commissioner" was ordered released on bail today, less than a week after confessing to cheating the IRS and lying to White House officials.

Bernard Kerik, the disgraced former New York City Police commissioner who was heralded for his leadership after Sept. 11, pleaded guilty Nov. 5 to eight felony counts related to actions that included lying to the White House and failing to report income and loans.

He faces a maximum 61 years in prison, but his plea agreement asks for a sentence of between 27 and 33 months.

Judge Stephen Robinson allowed Kerik to be freed from jail but he stiffened bail conditions. Kerik will be confined to his home, must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and will be required to ask for permission to leave the house to see his attorney, account or to go to worship. He also added additional financial security to the bail package.

Robinson had previously revoked Kerik's $500,000 bail in October, citing evidence that Kerik had violated a court order by releasing sealed materials that he felt may have been exculpatory to Kerik, and that information was shared with members of the media.

At last week's hearing, federal judge Stephen Robinson assured the one-time nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security that he would take into account not only his crimes, but the whole of Kerik's life – prompting tears from the former commissioner.

Robinson said Kerik, 53, had led a very full life, which he would keep in mind on sentencing day Feb. 18.

Prosecutors had alleged that Kerik, while New York City Correction Commissioner - a post he held prior to his appointment as Police Commissioner by Rudolph Giuliani - allowed a construction company to pay for renovations to his Bronx apartment in the hope that he would help the company obtain a city license.

They also accused Kerik of providing false information to the White House while under consideration for the job of head of Homeland Security, a post he was nominated for by President George W. Bush.

Robinson revoked bail after Kerik sent information to Anthony K. Modafferi III, a lawyer who is not part of the defense team. Modaferri then e-mailed the material to The Washington Times.

In October, ABC News reported that Kerik was under psychiatric care at the Westchester County Jail after the jail's psychiatric director expressed a "level of concern" described as "not ordinary."

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