Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby indicted on federal charges
Mosby was indicted on federal charges of making false mortgage applications and perjury
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges, alleging that she lied on a mortgage application when using coronavirus hardship as a reason to take money out of her city retirement account.
On Thursday, Mosby was indicted on federal charges of making false mortgage applications and perjury, which both relate to vacation home purchases in Florida.
According to court documents, Mosby allegedly lied when citing coronavirus hardship as a reason to make withdraws from her city retirement account. Mosby allegedly certified that she met at least one qualification for distribution under the CARES Act and "affirm[ed] under penalties for perjury the statements and acknowledgments made in this request."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maryland State Attorney Marilyn Mosby speaks during a news conference in Baltimore in December 2019. (AP/Julio Cortez)
She allegedly requested two one-time withdrawals of $40,000 and $50,000 out of her city retirement account, resulting in deposits of $36,000 and $45,000 into her bank account. The court documents allege that Mosby used the money for down-payments on two separate vacation homes in Florida.
The indictment states that Mosby did not experience any adverse financial consequences from the coronavirus pandemic, and received her full salary of $247,955.58 from Jan. 1, 2020 all the way through Dec. 29, 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On two occasions, according to court documents, Mosby also lied on two mortgage applications, allegedly failing to disclose that she had unpaid federal taxes from a number of years and the IRS had placed a $45,022 lien against all property that Mosby and her husband owned.
BALTIMORE'S MARILYN MOSBY UNDER SCRUTINY FOR OUT-OF-TOWN TRAVEL AS HOMICIDES SOARED
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 24: State's Attorney for Baltimore, Maryland, Marilyn J. Mosby is interviewed by Shoshana Guy, Senior Producer NBC News (not pictured) on August 24, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for BET Networks)
Mosby is also accused of lying in order to get a lower interest rate on the mortgage for her Kissimmee, Florida vacation home by claiming it was a second home. The court documents state that prior to claiming the "second home rider," Mosby entered an agreement with a vacation home management company which gave them control over renting out the property.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the Department of Justice, if Mosby is convicted, she could face up to five years in prison for the two counts of perjury and up to 30 years in prison for each of the two counts of making false mortgage applications.
BALTIMORE'S MARILYN MOSBY UNDER SCRUTINY FOR OUT-OF-TOWN TRAVEL AS HOMICIDES SOARED
Maryland State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Mosby, a Democrat, won her previous election for Baltimore State's Attorney in 2018, receiving 146,181 votes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 in jails and prisons when the pandemic began, her office decided to stop prosecuting offenses such as drug possession, prostitution, urinating in public, and more.
Mosby's attorney, A. Scott Bolden, told FOX 45 in a statement that his client did nothing wrong.
"Marilyn Mosby is innocent, has been innocent, and we look forward to defending her in the court of law, and presenting evidence of her innocence to a jury of her peers. We will fight these charges vigorously, and I remain confident that once all the evidence is presented, that she will prevail against these bogus charges—charges that are rooted in personal, political and racial animus five months from her election," Bolden said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mosby gained national popularity when she served as the prosecutor in the Freddie Gray case in 2015. Gray was an African American man who died in police custody.