Victor Mercado
A federal judge showed some sympathy for Victor Mercado, the former director the Detroit Water Department, and sentenced him Wednesday afternoon to 8 months in a halfway house.
The government had pushed for an 18-month sentence for Mercado who was on trial with Kwame Kilpatrick and company last year, but dropped out after six weeks and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.
In issuing her sentence, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds said Mercado, 62, failed to step back and blow the whistle on the corruption in the water department involving Mayor Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick and contractor Bobby Ferguson.
Still, she said he appeared to be manipulated into helping Kilpatrick and Ferguson rig contracts. She also noted that he wasn't an insider in the corruption ring.
She also said he shouldn't get more time than Bernard Kilpatrick, who was in the inner circle at city hall and only got 15 months time for his conviction. There was no indication that Mercado, who earned $240,000, ever took any bribes.
She said Mercado seemed willing to cooperate with the investigation at some point, but said there were some problems with him being a government witness. She did not elaborate.
Mercado, who has four children -- spoke very briefly, and said how horrible he felt about the whole thing.
"I hurt my children especially," he said. "I apologize for what I did. I apologize to this court and the city of Detroit."
He then asked the judge not to send him to prison.
Martin Crandall, his attorney, said afterwards that "I'm very unhappy" with the sentence. He had asked for probation.
The prosecution declined comment.
Specifically, the judge sentenced Mercado to one day, with time served; two years of supervised released, with the first eight months in a halfway house.
At the halfway house, he'll be able to work during the day. He currently resides in Florida.
