Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby (D) was federally indicted on charges of perjury in connection to issuing false statements as part of an effort to secure a COVID-related loan and purchase a vacation home.
The Baltimore Sun reports:
The indictment alleges in May 2020 that Mosby, 41, sought a $40,000 withdrawal from her city retirement account in May 2020, citing that she had experienced a financial setback due to the pandemic. Her salary that year had in fact increased $10,000 that year, to $248,000. […] The indictment says Mosby received $36,000, which she then put toward a down payment on a rental property near Orlando, Fla. But prosecutors say in purchasing that property, she lied about having a federal tax lien and falsely said the property was a second home, which lowered the interest rate.
The indictment reads:
Mosby had not experienced adverse financial consequences stemming from the coronavirus as a result of ‘being quarantined, furloughed or laid off’ or ‘having reduced work hours’ or ‘due to lack of childcare’ or ‘the closing or reduction of hours of a business I own or operate.’
Mosby’s office has not issued a statement regarding the federal indictment. The development coincides with another federal probe involving Mosby and her husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby (D), over business and campaign finance records, notes WBAL-TV 11 News.
Mosby, who became the youngest chief prosecutor of a major U.S. city in January 2015, previously courted controversy when she called for the elimination of prosecuting certain low-level crimes.
If convicted, Mosby could face five years in federal prison for each of the two perjury counts, along with maximum of 30 years for each of the two counts of making false statements.