Ficano's former top technology officer pleads guilty to bribery
A top Wayne County official agreed to cooperate in the federal probe of county corruption as part of a deal he reached with the government in return for leniency when he admitted he accepted bribes to help an IT vendor secure county contracts.
Tahir Kazmi, 49, of Rochester Hills served as Robert Ficano's chief information officer until the FBI accused him in February of helping an IT contractor in return for cash, trips and expensive perks for him and his family.
In return for his guilty plea Thursday in U.S. District Court before Judge Stephen Murphy, prosecutors recommended a sentence of between 4 1/2 and 6 years in prison. The maximum penalty for a public official accepting bribes is 10 years in prison
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gardey said Kazmi could receive less time in return for substantial cooperation.
http://www.freep.com/article/20120726/NEWS01/120726036/Robert-Ficano-Tahir-Kazmi-bribery
