BALTIMORE, MD—Catherine Pugh has been sentenced to prison.
On Thursday afternoon, a federal judge sentenced the former Baltimore mayor to three years in federal prison followed by three years of probation.
Pugh was indicted by a grand jury on November 14 of last year.
She pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of tax evasion.
In December, she was also charged with perjury.
The charges are connected to Pugh’s “Healthy Holly” book scandal, which eventually led to her resignation.
Specifically, the charges allege Pugh earned at least $345,000 in income in 2016 through sales of her “Healthy Holly” books, yet failed to disclose her ownership of Healthy Holly, LLC on her financial disclosure forms.
“Baltimore City faces many pressing issues, and we need our leaders to place the interests of the citizens above their own,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Catherine Pugh betrayed the public trust for her personal gain and now faces three years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever. Law enforcement will remain vigilant to ensure that our citizens receive the honesty and professionalism they deserve from government officials and will prosecute officials who betray the public’s trust.”
“The defendant’s scheme to cheat the taxpayers of Baltimore was as bold as it was brazen, and today’s sentence shows that the punishment for those actions is swift and severe,” said Alfred Watson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Division of the FBI. “The public has a right to expect and demand honesty and integrity from their public servants and the FBI stands ready with our law enforcement partners to uphold those principals in our system.”
“Today, Catherine Pugh learned the consequences of her actions. When those in positions of trust conspire to defraud the government and engage in corrupt ventures, they must be held accountable,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson. “We will continue to pursue justice against those whose actions deteriorate the confidence of the citizens that they were elected to serve.”
Federal prosecutors had been seeking a 5-year sentence.
