Former Baltimore Prosecutor Convicted of Perjury in Retirement Fund Scandal
A former top prosecutor for the city of Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby, has been convicted of perjury charges related to the mishandling of retirement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mosby used the funds to purchase two homes in Florida. The verdict was delivered by a federal jury after a trial that began on Monday.
Mosby, who served two terms as Baltimore’s state’s attorney, was indicted on perjury charges by a federal grand jury before being defeated in a Democratic primary last year. Her lawyer, James Wyda, declined to comment on the verdict due to a gag order, while the U.S. Attorney’s office refrained from making a statement.
Mosby gained national attention for her role in prosecuting Baltimore police officers following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in 2015. However, none of the officers were convicted, leading to riots and protests in the city. Mosby chose not to testify in the trial, and after the verdict was announced, she simply stated, “I’m blessed.”
In addition to the perjury charges, Mosby also faces separate allegations of mortgage fraud, with a trial date yet to be set. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Mosby withdrew $90,000 from Baltimore city’s deferred compensation plan while still receiving her full salary of approximately $250,000 that year.
The indictment against Mosby in 2022 accuses her of falsely claiming that her travel-oriented business suffered financial harm due to the pandemic, allowing her to access retirement funds improperly. She used these funds as down payments to purchase properties in Florida. Prosecutors argued that Mosby was not entitled to access the funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, as her business had no clients or revenue and did not experience adverse financial consequences from the pandemic.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney described the case as a situation where “a lawyer and a public servant placed her own selfish interests above the truth.” Prosecutors argued that the funds in the retirement account were held in trust and belonged to the city until a plan participant was eligible for withdrawal.
Mosby’s defense claimed that she had the legal right to withdraw the funds and spend them as she wished. They argued that she told the truth when she certified that her business was devastated by the pandemic. Her lawyer, James Wyda, emphasized that Mosby’s business aimed to support women of color in business travel and questioned which company or business associated with the pandemic did not suffer when COVID-19 hit.
The charges against Mosby have been met with criticism from her supporters, with some claiming that they are rooted in personal, political, and racial animus. During her tenure as state’s attorney, Mosby implemented progressive policies that garnered national recognition but also faced criticism for going too far. Her successor has since reversed some of her decisions, particularly regarding the prosecution of certain low-level crimes.
The trial was moved from Baltimore to Greenbelt, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., after Mosby’s attorneys argued that she would not receive a fair trial due to years of negative media coverage. However, prosecutors opposed the venue change, asserting that Mosby sought and encouraged media coverage of the case.
Associated Press writer Lea Skene in Baltimore contributed to this report.
