Marilyn J. Mosby, a former chief prosecutor in Baltimore, has been convicted on charges she lied about financial “hardship” during the coronavirus pandemic to access early retirement funds from the city and ultimately buy two Florida vacation homes.
Mosby, who served two terms as state’s attorney for Baltimore, was found guilty Thursday of two counts of perjury in connection to the prosecutorial misconduct that took place starting in 2020, federal prosecutors announced.
“We respect the jury’s verdict and remain steadfastly committed to our mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, protect the civil rights of all Americans, and safeguard public property,” United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron wrote in a press release after the four-day trial ended.
Jurors found in May and December of 2020, Mosby submitted “Coronavirus-Related Distribution Requests” for one-time withdrawals of $40,000 and $50,000 from City of Baltimore’s Deferred Compensation Plan, according to the release.
Last year, a federal grand jury indicted Mosby on both charges.
Before that Mosby, who served as the state’s attorney for Baltimore from 2015 to 2023, lost the Democratic primary for the job last year to Ivan Bates who was sworn in as the 26th State’s Attorney for the city in January.
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Financial lies uncovered in Mosby perjury trial
Federal public defender, James Wyda, a lawyer for Mosby, declined to comment after the verdict, “citing a gag order,” the Associated Press reported.
His client, the AP reported, did not testify during the trial, and after being convicted told reporters, “I’m blessed” as she left federal court.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mosby lied about meeting at least one of the qualifications for a distribution, “specifically, that she experienced adverse financial consequences from the coronavirus as a result of being quarantined, furloughed, or laid off; having reduced work hours; being unable to work due to lack of childcare; or the closing or reduction of hours of a business she owned or operated.”
During the trial, jurors determined Mosby did not experience those financial hardships and actually received her full gross salary of nearly $248,000 from Jan. 1, 2020 -Dec. 29, 2020, in bi-weekly gross pay direct deposits of nearly $9,200.
As of Friday Nov. 10, a sentencing date had not yet been set.
Mosby, 42, faces up to five years in prison when she is sentenced, prosecutors said.
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Pending false mortgage application case
In a separate pending federal case, prosecutors said, Mosby also stands accused of mortgage fraud after buying two vacation homes in Florida.
A trial date has not been set in that case. She faces two counts of making false mortgage applications, prosecutors said, and if convicted in that case faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
