Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa Pleads Guilty
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Former Baltimore City Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa pleaded guilty Tuesday late morning.
His sentencing is in March.
Back in May, De Sousa was charged with failure to file his federal taxes for three straight years.
According to federal officials, the IRS mailed a "lock-in" letter to De Sousa. The Baltimore Police Department said he was not entitled to the withholdings he claimed.
Additionally, officials said from 2008-2012 made falsely claimed deductions- those include the false claims of charitable donations and unreimbursed employee expenses, as well as home mortgage and tax deductions.
Prosecutors said De Sousa currently owes $67,587.72 in back taxes. He has paid about $7,000 so far.
De Sousa served as police commissioner for about four months before stepping down due to the charges. He had replaced Kevin Davis.
RELATED: Baltimore Police Commissioner Charged With Failure To File Taxes
In a statement released via Twitter, De Sousa took responsibility for not filing his taxes.
"I fully admit to failing to file my personal Federal and State taxes for 2013, 2014 and 2015. I did file my 2016 taxes and received an extension for my 2017 taxes. I have been working to satisfy the filing requirements and, to that end, have been working with a registered tax advisor.
To be clear, I have paid Federal, state and local taxes regularly through the salary withholding process.
While there is no excuse for my failure to fulfil my obligations as a citizen and public official, my only explanation is that I failed to sufficiently prioritize my personal affairs. Naturally, this is a source of embarrassment for me and I deeply regret any embarrassment it has caused the Police Department and the City of Baltimore. I accept full responsibility for this mistake and am committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible."
My statement: pic.twitter.com/1DCD2v4dFF
— Darryl De Sousa (@Darryl_De_Sousa) May 10, 2018
He faces a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison and $300,000 in fines.
Joel Fitzgerald was recently nominated by Mayor Pugh to be De Sousa's successor.
RELATED: Confirmation Process For New Police Commissioner Underway
Fitzgerald is staying at his current job as police chief of Fort Worth, Texas until he is confirmed by the City Council.
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