Judge rules fmr. water dept. head will be tried alongside Kilpatrick, others
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 08/14/2012
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By: Ross Jones
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Kwame Kilpatrick wasn't the only one to suffer a setback in federal court today. Victor Mercado, one of Kilpatrick's co-defendants, lost his bid to be severed from the racketeering case set to go to trial in September.
Mercado had argued that he's the odd man out in alleged Kilpatrick criminal enterprise, insisting that he was not a part of Kilpatrick's inner circle, didn't profit from the alleged shakedowns, and that Kilpatrick and others were secretly scheming behind his back. Mercado and his lawyer asked the judge for a seperate trial.
Judge Nancy Edmunds agreed that Mercado is a smaller part of the alleged scheme, but denied his request. She ruled that all the government needs to prove is that Mercado played a key role in what the feds call a well-orchestrated scheme to defraud the city.
If you have a tip for the 7 Action News Investigative Team, contact us at tips@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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