[JURIST] A federal grand jury has returned an indictment for former US Department of Homeland Security Secretary nominee Bernard Kerik [NYT profile], reportedly on corruption charges. Kerik's indictment [NYT report] will remain sealed until his arraignment Friday, but sources close to the investigation say the indictment includes mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, making false statements on a bank application, making false statements for a US government position and theft of honest services. Federal authorities began to investigate [Daily News report] Kerik after allegations arose that he accepted $165,000 in renovations for his New York City apartment from Interstate Industrial Corp., a firm often connected to the mafia, while serving as the New York City police commissioner. Kerik had pleaded guilty [NYT report] to misdemeanor charges in a New York state court, saying the renovations were an illegal gift from the construction company. Two New Jersey contractors were indicted [NYT report] in 2006 on charges relating to the apartment renovation scandal.

Kerik withdrew [JURIST report] from his nomination [JURIST video] as homeland security secretary in 2004 amid an immigration scandal over a nanny employed by Kerik. AP has more.

12:29 PM ET – AP is reporting that Kerik has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges.

5:04 PM ET – According to a press release [PDF text] from the US Attorney's Office, Kerik is charged [indictment, PDF] with conspiracy to deprive the city of New York and its citizens of honest services, mail fraud, wire fraud, obstructing or impeding the administration of the IRS, aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent tax return, subscribing to false tax returns, false statements on a loan application, and false statements to the federal government. If convicted on all charges, Kerik faces "a maximum aggregate sentence of 142 years of imprisonment and $4,750,000 in fines."