(The Root) — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick received a 28-year prison sentence for corruption on Thursday, bringing a definitive end to the scandal that has rocked the city for years. "I really, really, really messed up," Kilpatrick said before his sentence was handed down, according to CBS Detroit. "I apologize to the citizens of this city for abandoning you and to leave you like I did.
"I just humbly and respectfully ask for a fair sentence … I respect the jury's verdict. I think your honor knows I have disagreed in terms of the specific things I was found guilty on, but I respect the verdict and I also respect the American justice system," he added, according to the news site.
Kilpatrick, who was mayor from 2002 to 2008, was convicted in March 2013 of racketeering conspiracy, fraud, extortion, bribery and tax crimes. Judge Nancy Edmunds, who handed down his sentence, said that he was convicted of running a "criminal enterprise."
According to CBS News, Kilpatrick was found to have spent $840,000 above his salary when he served as mayor, among other charges. He fixed deals and rewarded allies while cracking down on contractors. Kilpatrick resigned in the fall of 2008 when a scandal broke that he had lied during a trial to cover up an affair with a top aide and also to hide why he was demoting or firing police officers, who were suspicious of his behavior.