As he is believed to be cooperating in an investigation of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a Detroit-area contractor was spared jail on Thursday on a tax charge.

The Detroit Free Press reported that it was suggested by U. S. District Judge Marianne Battani that Karl Kado, owner of Metro Services Organization Inc., was more a victim than a criminal. Kado, 69, of Bloomfield Hills, pleaded guilty in June 2009 to lying on a federal tax return.

The judge said that Kado's record of community service and his cooperation with federal investigators justifies lenient treatment.

Battani further said," When I look at you and what you have done with your life, it counts for something. You were involved in this so-called pay-to-play scheme that was a widespread operation in the city of Detroit. You did succumb, but I do think the circumstances mitigated your criminality. I do believe you were in a sense a victim." (With Input From Agencies)