Barry Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
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Amy Doolittle, Washington Times, March 10, 2006
Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was sentenced yesterday to three years of probation and ordered to pay almost $250,000 in delinquent taxes and interest for failing to file federal and city returns in 2000.
“I take full responsibility,” said Mr. Barry, 70. “There’s no excuse and no reasons that anybody could give why anyone would not pay.”
Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Mr. Barry also acknowledged failing to file returns in 1999 and from 2001 to 2004.
Mr. Barry was unsure about how much he earned during that time but did not challenge federal prosecutors’ claim he made more than $534,000.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson declined to impose jail time or additional fines on Mr. Barry, saying that repaying such a sum is burdensome enough.
Mr. Barry’s legal problems were compounded when he tested positive for cocaine during a drug screening shortly after his plea agreement last year.
Mr. Barry served four terms as D.C. mayor, with his last ending in early 1999. He returned to politics in 2004 when he was elected as a D.C. Council member for Ward 8.
He was videotaped smoking crack cocaine Jan. 19, 1990, in a downtown hotel room during an FBI sting operation. He served six months and has since acknowledged seeking treatment or counseling for substance abuse.
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(Posted on March 10, 2006)