Baltimore’s former top prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, was convicted on perjury charges by a federal jury in Maryland. The jury found her guilty of falsifying financial duress claims to withdraw from a retirement fund.
Convictions on two federal perjury counts were handed down by the US District Court of Maryland after Mosby falsely represented financial hardship stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing those false claims, Mosby obtained early access to the City of Baltimore’s Deferred Compensation Plan. Each of the counts holds a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have yet to be set.
The conviction was announced by US Attorney Erek Barron, who expressed respect for the jury’s verdict. Barron reinforced their commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding public property.
Demonstrating an alleged hardship due to the pandemic in 2020, Mosby requested a one-time withdrawal of $90,000 from the City of Baltimore’s Deferred Compensation Plan. Yet, evidence suggests that no such hardship existed, as Mosby received her full gross salary of $247,955.58 that year.
The jury convicted Mosby under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The act permits emergency distribution of a retirement plan for cases such as furlough, layoff, quarantine, reduced hours, inability to work due to childcare provision, or business reduction due to the pandemic. Mosby could not prove any of these hardships to justify her withdrawal from the retirement fund.
Having been elected in 2014, Mosby was one of the youngest top prosecutors in the state. Serving two terms, she gained notoriety for charging police officers over the death of Freddie Gray, a Black detainee, in 2015.
In addition to these perjury charges, Mosby also faces separate charges for mortgage fraud, for which she could receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. As of now, the trial date for these charges remains unscheduled.