Former State’s Attorney for Baltimore Marilyn Mosby was convicted of federal mortgage fraud charges in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Tuesday — in a case that garnered significant media attention.
Mosby, 44, rose to prominence after she brought charges against the six Baltimore police officers implicated in the death of Freddie Gray — a 25-year-old who died in police custody from a spinal injury. None of the officers were ultimately convicted, and federal prosecutors declined to bring charges against them. She and her then-husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, were considered a power couple before allegations of fraud rocked their marriage and public image.
The former top Baltimore prosecutor was indicted by a federal grand jury over allegations that she lied on mortgage applications to purchase two Florida vacation properties. On Tuesday, Mosby was convicted in connection to the purchasing of one of her Florida homes but acquitted in relation to her second Florida home purchase.
Mosby claimed that while she did make false statements on the loan application, it was unintentional. Her ex-husband also testified in her case, admitting that he had lied to her about tax debts.
Things Get Messier
Mosby’s mortgage woes weren’t the only source of courtroom drama.
According to The Baltimore Sun, following her conviction, the Judge unsealed a letter which revealed that the court officer had made repeated derogatory remarks about Mosby.
According to the letter, he repeatedly called her names and gave his opinion about the case to law clerks in the federal courthouse. His comments reportedly stemmed from his friendship with one of the officers involved in the Freddie Gray case — which Mosby prosecuted while serving as State’s Attorney.
Mosby is one of several high-profile Black women who’ve found themselves in the limelight for all of the wrong reasons — including Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and former Harvard University President Claudine Gay. Although these cases are all incredibly different, in each scenario, we’ve seen a powerful Black woman quickly rise to prominence only to be swiftly knocked down.
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay
Earlier this year, Gay resigned from her position at Harvard within six months of accepting the position. Gay’s ascendency to the presidency was considered a huge turning point in the University’s history since they had never had a Black President. However, early in her tenure, she became a lightning rod for conservative media who accused her of everything from being a diversity hire to plagiarism to antisemitism.
Gay ultimately resigned, warning that she was only one casualty in the war against social change.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
Willis has been in conservative media’s crosshairs since she announced her investigation into former President Donald Trump for election fraud. However, recently, the criticism against her has become more personal.
Willis disclosed that she had been having a relationship with one of the independent prosecutors working on the Trump case with her. The disclosure prompted Trump’s attorneys to try to have her removed from the case and has exposed her to significant media backlash.
What Will Happen to Marilyn Mosby?
Mosby is awaiting sentencing in this case, as well as on two other counts of federal perjury charges. She could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for mortgage fraud, according to CBS News, and that doesn’t include her other charges.
However, experts predict she’ll serve closer to three years in prison.