Former Mayor Catherine Pugh Sentence: Prosecutors Ask 57 Months

BALTIMORE, MD — Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to 57 months in prison. Sentencing is set for Feb. 27.

Pugh, 69, of Baltimore, admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. In exchange for her guilty plea in November, seven counts of wire fraud were dropped.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur filed a sentencing memorandum Thursday issuing a request that he deemed appropriate given the scope of the crimes and the position of trust Pugh held when she committed them.

The goal of the court is "not only to see that justice is served but to serve as a bulwark against future corruption by imposing a sentence that will deter other would-be corrupt politicians, fraudsters and tax evaders from taking advantage of the public," Hur said.

The case against Pugh was intertwined with a children's book series she penned about a character named Healthy Holly.

She released four books from 2011 to 2017, with titles such as "Healthy Holly: Exercise Is Fun" and "Healthy Holly: Vegetables are not just Green." She marketed the book, which she said was aimed to encourage kids to engage in healthy behaviors, almost exclusively to nonprofit organizations that had dealings with the government. She netted more than half a million dollars in book deals from health care companies that did business with government entities, while she was in office.

"A reasonable sentence in this case is one that holds Pugh accountable for her years of continuous criminal activity and helps restore the public’s trust in government," Hur said. He noted that his recommendation of 57 months of imprisonment "reinforces the notion that serious criminal acts committed by high-level elected officials while in office will be fairly and adequately addressed."

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Pugh admitted that from November 2011 to March 2019, she and her legislative aide used different methods of trying to defraud organizations, such as taking payments and not delivering books; diverting books purchased to go to a third party to herself; and then reselling the same books, according to prosecutors.

One of the organizations she swindled was the University of Maryland Medical System, of which she was on the board, authorities said. It paid $300,000 for three books that were to be distributed to students at Baltimore City Public Schools. Many of them she kept and attempted to resell.

Pugh admitted she used proceeds from the book sales to fund her mayoral campaign and to buy and renovate a house in Baltimore.

Pugh was elected mayor of Baltimore in 2016. She resigned May 2, 2019, after being on leave since April 1, citing pneumonia in stepping aside at a time when she also was under scrutiny for the book scandal.

She served as a member of the Maryland Senate from 2007 to 2016. While a senator, she was on various committees, including the Senate Health Committee.

For the four charges to which she pleaded guilty, Pugh faces up to 35 years in prison, but prosecutors previously issued a statement saying: "Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties."

The state prosecutor also filed a perjury charge against Pugh, which is a separate case from the federal proceedings. A status conference in the state case is slated for March 19.