BALTIMORE — Former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby was found guilty on both counts of perjury.
The jury completed deliberations and found Marilyn Mosby guilty on two counts of perjury. @WMAR
— Brittney Verner (@BrittneyVerner) November 9, 2023
She was on trial facing perjury charges for withdrawing money from her retirement fund during the pandemic.
The government argued Mosby was not facing financial hardship when she withdrew funds under the CARES Act, which was passed during COVID-19 to help people who were employed but could not afford to put funds towards their retirement accounts.
The CARES Act allowed people to withdraw up to $100,000 without specific guidelines concerning how they were allowed to spend the money.
Prosecutors say she used the money to claim hardship for her travel business and to use as a down payment on a property she was purchasing.
Defense attorneys, however, argue what she did was not criminal and that she took her own money out of her retirement fund just like more than 700 other city employees who also utilized the CARES Act.
RELATED: Day-by-day breakdown of the Marilyn Mosby trial
The government also believes she tried to use her women’s retreat business, Mahogany Elite Travel under Mahogany Enterprises LLC., as a reason to add deductions on her tax return.
Mosby's defense attorney said her business was started long before she received the retirement funds, and that the CARES Act did not specify how many times she was able to withdraw, only that it couldn’t exceed $100,000.
They also believe her retirement funds should not have been accessed because the money is "owned by the employer until one is old enough or eligible to withdraw.”
The defense mentioned in their closing arguments that Mosby believed she was facing adverse financial consequences due to COVID after her travel business Mahogany Elite Travel was paused due to the pandemic.
On day 3 of the trial, Mosby didn't take the stand.
