Baltimore Council Member Indicted on Theft Related Charges
Posted on Jan 6, 2009 10:20am PST
In Baltimore, Kenneth N. Oliver, a County Council member, was indicted on January 5th for
felony theft charges. According to state prosecutors, Oliver was charged with theft crimes after he used campaign funds for his personal needs. Oliver, a Randallstown Democrat, was elected as a council man in 2002.
Prosecutors say that Oliver, who is 63 years old, wrote 2 checks in the amount of $2,000 for his wife and also for himself. The checks were tied to his campaign funds and were used illegally, against campaign policies. If Oliver is convicted of the two felony theft charges, he may have to spend 15 years in prison and also pay a fine up to $25,000.
Yesterday, Oliver was also indicted by a grand jury in Baltimore County for six counts of violating election laws that require submission of receipts for expenses and for keeping separate account logs for petty cash usage. For these offenses, Oliver faces a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment and fines up to $25,000 for each of the six violations.
When asked about his criminal behavior, Oliver claimed that he used to money to clear up a family emergency. He insisted the money was just a loan that he intended to pay back. Oliver said that he was, "unaware of the possibility of committing a campaign finance violation."
Prior to these criminal incidents, Oliver was well-respected within the Baltimore community, and was also the first African American to serve on the Baltimore County Council.
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