Baltimore Police Commissioner Suspended

BALTIMORE, MD – Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa has reportedly been placed on administrative leave. The city's top cop was federally charged on Thursday for not filing his taxes.

De Sousa, 53, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of failing to file taxes, after investigators said he "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."

Mayor Catherine Pugh suspended him with pay on Friday, which The Baltimore Sun reported was consistent with the repercussion for other officers charged with misdemeanor crimes.

RELATED: Baltimore Police Commissioner Faces Federal Charges

De Sousa has been an "effective leader of the police department, as the downward trend in violence makes clear," the mayor said in a prepared statement.

"That said, I believe his suspension pending resolution of this matter is in the best interest of the Baltimore Police Department, the City of Baltimore and him personally," Pugh said.

"Upon review of the circumstances surrounding Commissioner Darryl De Sousa's failure to file tax returns for successive years, I have placed him on paid suspension, effective immediately," Pugh said.

Deputy Commissioner Garry Tuggle will serve as acting commissioner while De Sousa is on paid suspension.

Photos of Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa and Deputy Commissioner Gary Tuggle courtesy of Baltimore Police Department.