Former Baltimore Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby on Trial for Perjury and Misuse of Retirement Funds
GREENBELT, Md. — The perjury trial of former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby is nearing its conclusion, as attorneys are expected to present their closing arguments on Wednesday. Mosby, who served two terms as state’s attorney for Baltimore, chose not to testify before her defense team rested their case on the third day of the trial.
The prosecution has accused Mosby of lying about the finances of a side business in order to gain unauthorized access to retirement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she allegedly used to purchase two properties in Florida. However, Mosby’s attorneys argue that she obtained and spent the money legally.
One of Mosby’s notable cases was the prosecution of Baltimore police officers following the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man, while in police custody in 2015. The incident sparked riots and protests in the city, but none of the officers were ultimately convicted.
Mosby was indicted on two counts of perjury in 2022, after being defeated by a Democratic primary challenger. The indictment alleges that she falsely claimed her travel-oriented business, Mahogany Elite Enterprises, suffered financial harm due to the pandemic in order to access retirement funds. Prosecutors argue that Mosby was not entitled to withdraw the funds under provisions of 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.
During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney told jurors that the case was about a lawyer and a public servant who placed her own selfish interests above the truth. The prosecution alleges that Mosby made separate withdrawals of $40,000 and $50,000 from the city retirement plan, which holds the funds in trust for the city until a plan participant is eligible to make a withdrawal.
Mosby’s defense attorney, Maggie Grace, argued that Mosby was within her rights to withdraw and spend the money as she saw fit. Grace contended that Mosby truthfully certified on paperwork that her business had been devastated by the pandemic.
One of Mosby’s former lawyers, A. Scott Bolden, who withdrew from the case, characterized the charges as bogus and claimed they were rooted in personal, political, and racial animus.
Mosby’s tenure as state’s attorney was marked by national recognition for her progressive policies, but also drew criticism from those who believed she went too far. She implemented a practice of not prosecuting certain low-level crimes, a decision that her successor later reversed.
The trial, originally scheduled to be held in Baltimore, was moved to Greenbelt, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., after Mosby’s defense argued that she could not receive a fair trial due to years of negative media coverage. Prosecutors objected to the change in venue, citing Mosby’s seeking and encouraging media coverage of the case.
As the trial draws to a close, the jury will now deliberate on the charges against Marilyn Mosby in this high-profile case that has sparked intense public interest.
