Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges of perjury and making false loan applications, according to The Washington Post. She is accused of using money from a city retirement fund to purchase two properties in Florida. The Cares Act allows withdrawals from these accounts for people who prove financial hardship due to COVID-19, which Mosby falsely reported after receiving her full $250,000 salary during 2020. On these applications, Mosby did not reveal that she had unpaid federal taxes and a $45,000 lien from the IRS. She also managed to receive a lower mortgage for these properties under the condition that they would be used as a second home. A week later, she signed an agreement with a property managing company to rent out the home.
Mosby's attorney called the charges bogus and part of a racist attack on her character. Mosby, who is Black, got national attention for her prosecution in the case of Freddie Gray, a Black man from Baltimore who died in police custody. She is part of a growing number of prosecutors seeking to address inequality in the criminal justice system. The charges do not immediately affect her ability to stay in office. The federal probe followed an inquiry by the city's inspector general of Mosby's travel, personal businesses and gifts.