His fall from grace is complete.
Bernard Kerik, the 9/11 hero who rose from being Rudy Giuliani’s driver to heading the NYPD — and landed just a breath away from being in charge of the nation’s homeland security — pleaded guilty yesterday to being a lying and corrupt cheat and now faces almost three years in jail.
Under a plea bargain, Kerik, 54, admitted he lied on his tax returns, on a loan application and to the White House when being questioned about whether he was qualified to head the Department of Homeland Security.
The worst public-corruption charges he faced were dropped as part of the deal.
The former police commissioner — whose skyrocketing career was derailed over allegations he took inappropriate gifts — was a shell of his former self as a judge accepted his plea in White Plains federal court just days before one of his three trials was set to begin.
When Judge Stephen Robinson reminded Kerik of his lofty professional accomplishments, the former top cop welled up and used his hand to wipe away tears.
Kerik stood alone in court — his family nowhere to be seen, since he had asked them not to witness his public disgrace. At points when Kerik appeared close to breaking down, his lawyer offered minimal comfort by patting him on the back.
After being counseled by his lawyers to avoid any histrionics, Kerik read his allocution to the judge in a quiet, almost robot-like voice, admitting to just the details of the eight counts to which he pleaded guilty.
“Guilty, your honor,” he calmly repeated.
In return for admitting guilt, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 27 to 33 months in prison for Kerik — who has sat in jail since last month, when the judge discovered he had been leaking secret pretrial information. On the eight counts, Kerik could face up to 61 years.
Robinson said he would keep an open mind when Kerik returns for sentencing on Feb. 18.
“This is a very sad day. But I think that you’ve had a full life. And I should be able to take into account that full life and all of the things that you have done, not just the charges here. Because there is much good in that full life I believe,” he said.
The judge also hinted that he would be willing to allow Kerik out of jail until his sentencing after his lawyers file a renewed bail application next week.
US Attorney Preet Bharara issued a statement calling it “a sad day” but insisting, “No one is above the law.”
Kerik had started out as a beat cop and eventually landed in a plum unit, chauffeuring and acting as a bodyguard to then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. They became fast friends, and Kerik ultimately was picked to head the city Department of Correction in 1998. In 2000, he was a surprise choice to run the NYPD.
Kerik was police commissioner when terrorists attacked on 9/11. He was lauded around the globe for his leadership during the crisis and followed Giuliani into private life, joining the former mayor’s consulting firm.
In 2004, after a stint coordinating security in Iraq, Kerik was nominated as secretary of Homeland Security at the urging of Giuliani.
But while being vetted for that position, he lied about whether he had financial dealings with anyone who did business with the city and whether he had refused payments from them.
He ultimately dropped out of the running for the Cabinet post, claiming it was because he had employed an undocumented nanny. But Kerik was later charged in Bronx Supreme Court with accepting a quarter of a million dollars in renovations as a gift from a mob-connected contractor who did business with the city.
The contractor, Interstate, run by Frank and Peter DiTomasso — whom Kerik met while he was Correction commissioner through the best man at his wedding — did the free renovations on Kerik’s Bronx apartment in exchange for him recommending them for city contracts in 1999 and 2000.
Kerik pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in 2006 and was forced to pay $221,000 in fines, but served no jail time.
But in late 2007, he was again indicted, this time on federal charges in two separate cases for tax fraud and corruption, stemming from allegations similar to those from the state case.
In his guilty plea yesterday, Kerik admitted failing to disclose the renovations on his taxes as well as writing off bogus expenses. He also admitted he had lied on a mortgage application when he failed to state he had received $28,000 from a real-estate mogul friend to buy a house.
And he pleaded guilty to five counts of lying to White House officials about the home renovations, the nanny and whether he had any loans above $10,000.
Kerik could be fined in addition to being sentenced to prison. He has already agreed to pay nearly $188,000 in restitution and resubmit his personal tax returns for six years, paying past-due taxes and penalties.