Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who became a national figure after the 2015 police custody death of Freddie Gray, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on charges of perjury and making false mortgage applications in order to obtain pandemic relief aid.
The four-count indictment alleges that Mosby, 41, requested separate withdrawals of $40,000 and $50,000 from her city retirement account, claiming that she experienced significant financial hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to the indictment, Mosby did not experience meaningful financial issues during the pandemic and received her full salary totaling over $240,000. The indictment alleges that she used the money withdrawn from her retirement account toward a down payment for two vacation homes.
The indictment also alleges Mosby made false statements in July and September 2020 along with January and February 2021 in applications for a $490,500 mortgage for a house in Kissimmee, Florida, and a $428,400 mortgage for a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida.
Mosby did not disclose on either application that she had unpaid federal taxes from several previous years, according to the indictment. She also did not disclose that in March 2020, the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien against all property that belonged to Mosby and her husband that amounted to $45,022 — the amount the married political powerhouse couple owed in unpaid taxes at that time.
Mosby’s office says they are not deterred by the charges following the recent indictment.
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“State’s Attorney Mosby and the office remain completely focused and wholly committed to serving the citizens of our city,” a statement from Baltimore State’s Attorney spokesperson Zy Richardson said.
“Our leadership and our frontline prosecutors are some of the best in the world and we will not be distracted or sidetracked from our mission to make Baltimore a safer community.”
Mosby has been a leader in a new school of progressive prosecutors across the country in America’s major cities that have advocated against pursuing low-level offenses and crimes. Mosby also has been an advocate of police reform during her tenure.
In May 2015, Mosby indicted six police officers after a Maryland medical examiner’s report ruled Gray’s death a homicide. Gray died due to a spine injury he sustained while in police custody.
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Federal prosecutors opened an investigation into Mosby’s financial records in March.
If convicted, Mosby faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the two counts of perjury and a maximum sentence of 30 years for each of the two counts of making false mortgage applications.
Source: huffpost
