Baltimore's former mayor Mayor Catherine Pugh pleads GUILTY to conspiracy charges and tax evasion

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh today pled guilty to conspiracy charges and tax evasion in federal court.

"She surrendered her passport, under terms that would allow her to go free pending her sentencing," the Baltimore Sun reports:

She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of tax evasion. The counts entail much of the sweeping allegations against Pugh in the initial indictment - that she knowingly sought to defraud purchasers of her books, reap the financial and political benefits, and pay little or no taxes on the windfall.

After Pugh's plea, Chasanow instructed Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin Clarke and Leo Wise to read through the facts pertaining to those four counts, which Pugh would be stipulating as true under the terms of her plea agreement.

"Ms. Pugh, you need to listen carefully," Chasanow said.

The four counts to which Pugh pleaded guilty collectively carry a maximum sentence of decades in prison, though she could receive far less than the guidelines allow at sentencing.Under the terms of the plea, Pugh did not acknowledge guilt in relation to seven individual counts of wire fraud.

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh pleads guilty to conspiracy, tax evasion in 'Healthy Holly' book scheme [baltimoresun.co]