Kerik Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison

How the mighty one has fallen. Bernard Kerik was once called one of the best police chiefs in this country and was called a hero after 9/11 (although I think it was the men who he commanded that were the real heroes and Kerik was just trying to trade off their heroism).

But regardless of whether it was his own heroism or his men's heroism, Kerik nearly used that to catapult himself into an important national office. George Bush bought into the hype and in 2004 he nominated Kerik to become the head of the Homeland Security Department.

It looked like he would actually head that department, but Democrats created a firestorm of protest, delaying the nomination and finally forcing it to be withdrawn. And that's a good thing because Kerik has turned out to be far from a hero. He's just another criminal.

Last November, he pled guilty to eight felonies, including tax fraud and lying to the White House while they were vetting him for the job at Homeland Security. He will remain free (with an electronic ankle bracelet) until May 17th when he must report to a federal prison (which is yet to be designated).

Kerik must also pay $188,000 in restitution and also pay income taxes and penalties on six years of tax returns. He has know about the restitution and taxes with penalties since last November, but has yet to pay a single penny.

The federal court guidelines recommended 27 to 33 months in prison, but the federal judge exceeded that and sentenced Kerik to 48 months, saying the guidelines didn't consider "the almost operatic proportions of this case". He went on to chastise Kerik by saying, "The fact that Mr. Kerik would use that event (9/11) for personal gain and aggrandizement is a dark place in the soul for me."

Kerik had pleaded for a short sentence, saying he had "become a better person". Maybe so, but I don't think that should even be considered until he finishes serving that four year sentence -- which he richly deserves.