(WXYZ) — Ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's friend Bobby Ferguson has been granted compassionate release from prison, according to court documents filed Thursday.
The motion reads in part, "not only has Defendant served a slightly longer term of imprisonment than a more culpable co-defendant, but his motion comes during an unprecedented global pandemic and Defendant has an increased vulnerability to the virus."
Bobby Ferguson's attorney, Gerald Evelyn, expressed gratitude at the judge's decision today.
"We are very grateful to Judge Edmunds for making the decision to grant his request for compassionate release. Mr Ferguson and his family very much appreciate Judge Edmunds allowing him to come home at this time," Evelyn told 7 Action News.
Read the judge's full ruling below:
Bobby Ferguson Release Document by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
Ferguson was convicted on public corruption charges back in 2013, sentenced to 21 years behind bars for racketeering, extortion and fraud. Prosecutors said Kilpatrick steered bids to his friend, and the two shared in the profits.
In his final hours in office, President Trump commuted the sentence of Kilpatrick. He was not expected to be released from federal prison until Jan. 18, 2037.
Following the news of Ferguson's granted compassionate release Thursday, former U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said, “President Trump’s unjustified commutation of Kilpatrick’s sentence set the ball in motion for this premature release. Just like Kwame Kilpatrick, Ferguson is an unapologetic criminal, and he should stay in prison for his appalling crimes against the people of Detroit.”
