DETROIT – Former Detroit city treasurer Jeffrey Beasley was sentenced to 11 years in prison for running a kickback and bribe scheme while he was a trustee of the Detroit pension funds.
Beasley was a college fraternity brother of former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. He was convicted last year.
Prosecutors wanted a 15-year prison sentence for Beasley, not 11. They said he was Kilpatrick's right-hand man and his proxy in the scheme.
Overall, Beasley received $256,000 in payoffs. He only admits to a third of it.
"I accept I made mistakes and I share that humbly and remorsefully. I'll have to live with it the rest of my life," said Beasley.
Judge Nancy Edmunds said Beasley was an honest and good man who lost his way.
"I do not believe he had the intention to gouge the pension system," she said. "I don't think he sold the vote in terms of saying, 'Give me the trip and I'll vote the way you want.' It happened in an illegal way nonetheless."
After he was sentenced, Beasley had no comment. He has requested to be placed in a prison in Pensacola, Fla., which is near his family.