Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion in federal court last month, faces a new perjury charge.
Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton Howard said his office filed the perjury charge in connection with Pugh’s Healthy Holly LLC, the company where she earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of children’s books.
“This particular charge refers to her time as a state senator, and it refers to financial disclosure documents that were filed in Anne Arundel County during her time as state senator,” Howard said.
Pugh served in the Maryland General Assembly before running for mayor. She resigned as mayor in May, amid continuing reports of scandal involving the financial arrangements of her company.
Business generated from the “Healthy Holly” books earned Pugh $345,000 in 2016, according to the Office of the State Prosecutor, which is in charge of investigating corruption and ethics violations.
The perjury charge alleges that Pugh failed to disclose her ownership of the company on required financial disclosure forms.
Already facing the possibility of decades behind bars, the new charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, The Associated Press reported.
Pugh’s attorney, Steve Silverman, had no comment on the perjury charge.
Pugh faces sentencing in the federal case against her on Feb. 27.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
