After pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and tax evasion in November, former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has finally learned her fate. On Thursday, Pugh was sentenced to three years in prison in connection to her infamous “Healthy Holly” children’s book scandal, which brought yet more national attention on the embattled city and ultimately resulted in the Democratic mayor resigning in disgrace last May.
After federal prosecutors recommended five years behind bars for Pugh, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow ruled Thursday that Pugh, 69, would serve three years in prison and an additional three years of supervised released.
“The disgraced former mayor was also ordered to pay $411,948 in restitution and to forfeit $669,688, including property in Baltimore and $17,800 from her Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh,” NBC News reported Thursday.
After being elected in 2016, Pugh quickly came under scrutiny for multiple lucrative deals involving her children’s book, “Healthy Holly.” Pugh’s nonprofit ended up receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple city and state contractors from the book deals. The scheme, prosecutors say, benefited Pugh both financially and politically. – READ MORE
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