Bobby Ferguson facing new charge in federal bid-rigging case

Detroit contractor accused of obtaining millions of dollars in public works contracts through false statements

DETROIT – Detroit contractor Bobby Ferguson was back in court Monday to be arraigned on charges for allegedly conspiring to rig contractors for federally-funded projects.

Ferguson, who was found guilty of racketeering and corruption charges in a trial he faced alongside with Kwame Kilpatrick, is awaiting re-trail in May for a separate case on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction of justice.

READ: Ferguson indictment - March 25

He's accused of obtaining millions of dollars in public works contracts through false statements and bid collusion.

He's also accused of making false statements in a proposal as part of the Garden View Estates project, a public housing development in Detroit.

Prosecutors have also added a firearm charge to his indictment.

In court Freguson told the judge he isn't sure if he will hire an attorney on his own, or if he will ask the court to appoint an attorney.

Ferguson lost his attorney Gerald Evelyn for the case.

Evelyn filed a notice of withdrawal as counsel for Ferguson on Friday.

"I haven't had an opportunity to decide how I will move forward. At this point it's hard because I don't know who will represent me. It's going to take a new attorney a year to learn about my case and we don't have that much times," said Bobby Ferguson. "I only have on phone. I don't have access to a library. There is no place for me to talk business in order to hire an attorney."

Ferguson is being held in a Michigan federal prison while a judge weighs a bond request in the racketeering case. His attorney in the federal corruption trial told Local 4 that Ferguson is frustrated.

"He doesn't get frustrated easily, but it's just that he's got to do some things that it's very hard for him to do while he's locked up," said Gerald Evelyn, Ferguson's attorney. "He's a tough guy. He's a tough prayerful man. He's trying to manage a difficult situation as best he can."

Ferguson was originally indicted in 2010, but his original case ended in a mistrial in 2012.