Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of failure to file a U.S. Individual Tax Return.
According to the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, De Sousa willfully failed to file a federal tax return for the years 2013, 2014, and 2015, despite having been a salaried employee of the Baltimore Police Department in each of those years.
RELATED: Residents react to charges filed against Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa
Darryl De Sousa released a statement regarding the charges:
“I fully admit to failing to file my personal Federal and State taxes for 2013, 2014 and 2015. I did file my 2016 taxes and received an extension for my 2017 taxes. I have been working to satisfy the filing requirements and, to that end, have been working with a registered tax advisor.
To be clear, I have paid Federal, state and local taxes regularly through the salary withholding process.
While there is no excuse for my failure to fulfill my obligations as a citizen and public official, my only explanation is that I failed to sufficiently prioritize my personal affairs. Naturally, this is a source of embarrassment for me and I deeply regret any embarrassment it has caused the Police Department and the City of Baltimore. I accept full responsibility for this mistake and am committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible.”
Mayor Catherine Pugh issued a statement in defense of De Sousa, calling the tax issue a mistake, and reiterating her support for the Commissioner.
As Commissioner De Sousa has explained, he made a mistake in not filing his taxes for the years in question. He is working to resolve this matter and has assured me that he will do so as quickly as possible. I have full confidence in Darryl De Sousa in his capacity as Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department and trust that he will continue to focus on our number one priority of reducing violence.
“We want to make sure we are completely transparent even within the police department so when officers are coming in and out of that door, they can see the activity and the level of intensity that we are putting toward the crime fight and engaging so they can see it. So when they come in this room and sit down for roll call, that they know the information they are getting is something our officers and our analysts are doing their due diligence to try and reduce crime,” said Commissioner De Sousa.
De Sousa faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine for each of the three counts.
View the full indictment below:
The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #3 released a statement stating that they urge Commissioner Darryl De Sousa to take a leave of absence until the matter is resolved.
