In the following press release PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and PATRICIA J. HAYNES, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, Criminal Investigation, Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), announced today that BERNARD B. KERIK, [pictured below] former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and the Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty in White Plains federal court to eight felonies, two of which were separately charged in an Indictment in the District of Columbia.

KERIK pleaded guilty before United States District Judge STEPHEN C. ROBINSON to: one count of obstructing and impeding the due administration of the internal revenue laws from 1999 to 2007, one count of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return (for the 2000 tax year), one count of making a  false statement on a loan application, and five counts of making false statements to the federal government. Two of the false statement counts – the two counts that KERIK also agreed to transfer to White Plains from Washington, D.C. – relate to materially false statements that KERIK made to White House officials vetting him for the position of Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

 Indictment [Page 23 contains the reference to mortgage fraud]

At today’s plea hearing, KERIK admitted, among other things, that in 1999 and 2000 he received substantial renovations to his Riverdale apartment through Interstate (a metropolitan area-contractor) and conceded that Interstate paid approximately $255,000 for the renovations. KERIK also admitted that around the same time, he contacted New York City regulators concerning Interstate. KERIK further admitted that he failed to report the value of the renovations he received through Interstate on his federal tax returns. And KERIK admitted that he made false statements to the White House concerning the renovations he received on his Riverdale apartment and his relationship with Interstate when he was being vetted for the position of Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

“It is a sad day when the former chief law enforcement officer of New York City pleads guilty to eight federal felonies,” said United States Attorney PREET BHARARA. “But no one is above the law. And this Office will not hesitate to pursue any public official who violates his oath and betrays the public trust.”

KERIK, 54, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 61 years. KERIK has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $187,931 and is also subject to additional fines. The statutory maximum penalties for the eight federal felonies to which KERIK pled guilty today are outlined in the attached chart.

Judge ROBINSON scheduled KERIK’s sentencing for February 18, 2010 at 10 a.m. Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. Mr. BHARARA also thanked the New York City Department of Investigation, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys ELLIOTT B. JACOBSON, PERRY A. CARBONE, and MICHAEL S. BOSWORTH are in charge of the prosecution.