time off for good behavior, his earliest possible release date was August 1, 2037—when he would be 67 years old. Mercado pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, Bobby Ferguson was sentenced to 21 years in prison, Derrick Miller pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to three years supervision, the first year in a halfway house. Bernard Kilpatrick was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Emma Bell received two years probation and was fined $330,000 in back taxes as part of a plea deal where she testified that she frequently handed Kilpatrick large amounts of cash skimmed from campaign accounts. First Independence Bank, used by Kilpatrick and Ferguson, was fined $250,000 for failing to follow anti-money-laundering regulations. 14 companies were suspended from bidding on contracts with the water department in the wake of the scandal. Inland Waters Pollution Control Inc. paid $4.5 million in the settlement of a lawsuit over their involvement with Kilpatrick, Ferguson and the Detroit Water Board. Lakeshore TolTest Corp. reached a $5 million settlement with the Water Board to avoid litigation. In August 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld his convictions but ordered that the amount of restitution be recalculated. In June 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeal. In June 2018 Kilpatrick began seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump. His application has been opposed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for southeast Michigan. Restitution claims and other civil lawsuits accumulated claimed $10 million in debts, for which Kilpatrick is responsible. Kilpatrick has no assets to settle these claims. Commutation of sentence On January 20, 2021, President Donald Trump commuted Kilpatrick's sentence with less than 12 hours remaining before he was due to leave office. The White House statement on the pardoning of Kilpatrick reads: "Mr. Kilpatrick has served approximately 7 years in prison for his role in a racketeering and bribery scheme while he held public office. During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick has taught public speaking classes and has led Bible Study groups with his fellow inmates." President Trump's commutation allowed Kilpatrick to gain release 20 years early, though it did not vacate his conviction. The commutation left in place the almost $4.8 million in restitution and the three-year probation. Kilpatrick will not be able to run for office in Michigan until 2033 as a felon is excluded from politics for 20 years after conviction under