Baltimore Police Commissioner Faces Federal Charges

BALTIMORE, MD — Baltimore's top cop is facing federal charges. Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa, 53, was charged Thursday with three misdemeanor counts of failing to file taxes.

Investigators said De Sousa "willfully failed to file a federal tax return" for tax years 2013, 2014 and 2015, when he was a salaried employee of the Baltimore Police Department.

"I fully admit to failing to file my personal federal and state taxes for 2013, 2014 and 2015," De Sousa said in a statement. "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."

He has worked for the department since 1988 and was sworn in as the commissioner for the Baltimore Police Department in February.

"To be clear, I have paid federal, state and local taxes regularly through the salary withholding process," De Sousa said.

The commissioner said he accepted responsibility for not filing and has been working with a registered tax adviser.

De Sousa said he filed his 2016 taxes and was granted an extension on his 2017 return.

"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," De Sousa said in a statement. "I accept full responsibility for this mistake and am committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible."

The U.S. District Attorney for Maryland Robert K. Hur announced the charges along with officials from the IRS and FBI. De Sousa faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine for each of the three counts of failing to file a tax return.

The charges were announced as the police department works to improve relations with the Baltimore community. Following the 2015 riots, the department signed a consent decree committing to police reform.

In recent months, multiple officers were convicted in a racketeering scheme for using their power to rob and falsely charge citizens.

The unsolved murder of a homicide detective in November 2017 and firing of previous Police Commissioner Kevin Davis in January have added to the turbulence.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Photo of Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa courtesy of Baltimore Police Department.