Latest news with #FromJailertoJailed
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
NEW YORK — Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City's police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned, has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Kerik's death Thursday came after an unspecified 'private battle with illness.' Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who tapped Kerik as a bodyguard for his 1993 mayoral campaign and later appointed him to lead the NYPD, reflected on their long history on his show Thursday. 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother,' Giuliani said through tears. 'I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a former NYPD officer, said he'd visited Kerik, his 'friend of nearly 30 years,' at a hospital earlier in the day. Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars. He served nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to tax fraud, making false statements and other charges. The charges stemmed partially from apartment renovations he received from a construction firm that authorities say wanted Kerik to convince New York officials it had no links to organized crime. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' President Trump pardoned Kerik during a 2020 clemency blitz. Kerik was one of the guests feting Trump after his first federal court appearance in Florida in a case related to his handling of classified documents. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where he dropped out of the troubled Eastside High School later depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me.' He joined the Army, where he became a military policeman stationed in South Korea. He went on to work private security in Saudi Arabia before returning stateside to supervise a jail in New Jersey. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and was appointed in the 1990s to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex. Kerik was appointed by Giuliani to serve as police commissioner in 2000 and was often by the mayor's side in the period after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 'He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left,' Giuliani recalled in a statement following Kerik's death. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed,' he described becoming 'America's Top Cop' after the attacks. 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did,' he wrote. 'And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' He was tapped by President George W. Bush to help organize Iraq's police force in 2003, then nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the following year. But Kerik caught the administration off guard when he abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. More serious legal troubles followed, culminating in his conviction. In 2005, Kerik founded the Kerik Group, a crisis and risk management consulting firm. More recently, he worked for Giuliani again, surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bernard Kerik, N.Y.C. Police Commissioner Who Led 9/11 Response and Was Pardoned by Trump for Felonies, Dies at 69
Bernard Kerik, who served as NYPD police commissioner during 9/11, has died at age 69 Kerik was first hailed as a hero for facilitating the emergency response to the attacks, but later fell from grace due to multiple legal woes He pleaded guilty to eight felonies in 2009 and served three years in prison, then was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel announced news of Kerik's death in a Thursday, May 29 post on X, noting that Kerik had been in the midst of a "private battle with illness." Kerik led the NYPD during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and was widely regarded as a hero for facilitating the department's response, according to Reuters. His career was on a steady rise until a series of accusations and investigations in the mid-2000s — including tax evasion, fraud and making false statements — landed him in prison. President Donald Trump pardoned him in 2020. Kerik, the 40th NYPD police commissioner, grew up in Paterson, N.J., and dropped out of Eastside High School. He then enlisted in the Army and was stationed in South Korea, according to the Associated Press, which reports that Kerik worked in private security in Saudi Arabia before coming back to the U.S., where he supervised a New Jersey jail. His career with the NYPD began in the '80s, and Kerik was eventually tapped to oversee the city's troubled prison system. In 2000, Kerik was appointed police commissioner by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and held the position for 16 months, The New York Times reported. Kerik was on the ground at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and helped facilitate the building's evacuation. His actions on 9/11 earned him praise and many formal honors, cementing him as one of the day's heroes. Yet, his legal troubles began shortly after. In 2004, he was nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security by former President George W. Bush. Kerik unexpectedly withdrew his name from consideration because he employed an undocumented person in his household and his failure to pay payroll taxes, according to the Times. His admission led to further investigations into Kerik's dealings, which revealed that he carried on an extramarital affair in an apartment meant for rescue workers at the World Trade Center site. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. It was also revealed that he had commissioned renovations from a construction firm with alleged ties to organized crime, had committed tax fraud and had made false statements to federal investigators, according to the Times. In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to eight felonies, according to CNN, including tax fraud and making false statements to federal officials. He was sentenced to four years in prison but ended up serving three for good behavior. Kerik later wrote a memoir, From Jailer to Jailed, which was published in 2015. Trump granted Kerik a full pardon in 2020, after which Kerik became a staunch supporter of the president. Like Giuliani, Kerik denied the results of the 2020 election and said former President Joe Biden won because of fraudulent voting practices, according to the Times. During the House Jan. 6 committee, Kerik provided documents implicating himself in other efforts to deny the election results. Read the original article on People
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bernie Kerik dead: Former NYPD commissioner was 69, leaves behind complicated legacy
Bernard Kerik, the New York City police commissioner during the September 11 attacks who later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before receiving a presidential pardon, has died at age 69. The New York Police Department confirmed his death on Thursday via social media. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Kerik passed away following a private battle with illness. The NYPD is mourning the passing of former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. For nearly two decades, Kerik served and protected New Yorkers in the NYPD, including helping rebuild the city in the aftermath of 9/11. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 30, 2025 Kerik, an Army veteran, gained national recognition for his leadership during the 9/11 attacks. He was appointed police commissioner by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2000 and held the position during one of the city's darkest hours. Giuliani reflected on their long friendship during a televised appearance, describing Kerik as 'like my brother' and saying, 'I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' Kerik's career was marked by both high praise and controversy. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax fraud and making false statements. The charges related in part to receiving over $250,000 in apartment renovations from a construction firm alleged to have ties to organised crime. The sentencing judge highlighted that some crimes occurred while Kerik was the 'chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' He served three years in federal prison and was released in 2013. In 2020, President Donald Trump granted Kerik a full pardon. After his release from prison, Kerik continued his work in crisis management and remained involved in political efforts, including supporting attempts to challenge the 2020 US presidential election results. Kerik recounted his experience during 9/11 in his 2015 book, From Jailer to Jailed, describing the day as one he wished had never happened but saying he did 'the best [he] could do under the circumstances.' His death marks the end of a turbulent but impactful career in law enforcement and public service.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
NEW YORK (AP) — Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City's police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned, has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Kerik's death Thursday came after an unspecified 'private battle with illness.' Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who tapped Kerik as a bodyguard for his 1993 mayoral campaign and later appointed him to lead the NYPD, reflected on their long history on his show Thursday. 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother,' Giuliani said through tears. 'I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a former NYPD officer, said he'd visited Kerik, his 'friend of nearly 30 years,' at a hospital earlier in the day. Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars. He served nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to tax fraud, making false statements and other charges. The charges stemmed partially from apartment renovations he received from a construction firm that authorities say wanted Kerik to convince New York officials it had no links to organized crime. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik during a 2020 clemency blitz. Kerik was one of the guests feting Trump after his first federal court appearance in Florida in a case related to his handling of classified documents. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where he dropped out of the troubled Eastside High School later depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me.' He joined the Army, where he became a military policeman stationed in South Korea. He went on to work private security in Saudi Arabia before returning stateside to supervise a jail in New Jersey. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and was appointed in the 1990s to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex. Kerik was appointed by Giuliani to serve as police commissioner in 2000 and was often by the mayor's side in the period after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 'He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left,' Giuliani recalled in a statement following Kerik's death. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed,' he described becoming 'America's Top Cop" after the attacks. 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did,' he wrote. 'And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' He was tapped by President George W. Bush to help organize Iraq's police force in 2003, then nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the following year. But Kerik caught the administration off guard when he abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. More serious legal troubles followed, culminating in his conviction. In 2005, Kerik founded the Kerik Group, a crisis and risk management consulting firm. More recently, he worked for Giuliani again, surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Kerik pleaded guilty in 2009, not 2010. The Associated Press
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Who was Bernard Kerik? Ex-NYPD commissioner hailed as 9/11 hero, then enmeshed in fraud case, has died at 69
Bernard Kerik, the disgraced former New York City police commissioner, hailed for his leadership during the 9/11 incident, has passed away at 69 due to illness, according to an AP report. The news was confirmed by the NY police department (NYPD) via social media on May 29. And FBI Director Kash Patel shared that Kerik's death came 'after a private battle with illness'. Kerik fell from grace after pleading guilty for tax fraud and serving time in jail for the same. He was later pardoned by United States President Donald Trump and released from prison, it added. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He dropped out of the local Eastside High School, known for its troubles and which was depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me', and joined the Army, as per the report. He started his military career as a policeman stationed in South Korea. Post the military he worked private security in Saudi Arabia, before returning to the US as a supervisor at a New Jersey jail. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and in the 1990s was tapped to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex, the AP report noted. Kerik rose through the NYPD ranks to the position of commissioner. He was appointed as police commissioner in 2000 by then mayor Giuliani, and was in the role during the September 11, 2001 twin tower attacks. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed', he described becoming 'America's Top Cop" after the attacks. Stating: 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did. And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' In 2003, then President George W Bush appointed Kerik to help organise Iraq's police force. In 2004, Kerik was nominated to head the US Department of Homeland Security, but abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. In 2005, Kerik founded the crisis and risk management consulting firm, called Kerik Group. In 2010, he was arrested for federal tax fraud and false statements. The charges said he recieved $2,50,000 in apartment renovations from a construction company, to convince NY city officials the firm had no organised crime links. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' He served three years in prison and was released in 2013. Later in 2020, US President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik. He later worked for the former mayor of New York City surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss. Speaking about his friend on May 29, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised Kerik saying, 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother. I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' In his post on social media, Kash Patel described Kerik as 'a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known.'
