Kwame Kilpatrick guilty of racketeering

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DETROIT, March 11 (UPI) -- A federal jury found former Detroit Mayor Kwuame Kilpatrick and his friend guilty of federal racketeering and extortion charges Monday.

The jury, however, could not reach a decision on the racketeering charges against Kilpartrick's father, Bernard Kilpatrick, WXYZ-TV, Detroit, said.

Kilpatrick and his friend, Bobby Ferguson, could face up to 20 years in prison.

Attorneys for Kilpatrick and the co-defendants oversaw nearly 70 days of testimony from witnesses who claimed the former mayor and his allies used the mayor's office as a for-profit enterprise to benefit themselves, WWJ-TV, Detroit, reported.

After 14 full days of deliberation in the former mayor's federal corruption trial, the jury announced verdicts Monday morning. The jury reached a unanimous decision on 40 of 45 counts, WDIV-TV-TV, Detroit, said.

Several media outlets reported the verdict was reached Friday but the jury decided to go home for the weekend to see if any jurors changed their minds by Monday morning.

Judge Nancy Edmunds read the verdict, rather than the jury foreperson reading the verdict.