Baltimore Police Chief De Sousa Charged with Failing to File Taxes, but Mayor Expresses Confidence in Him

Federal prosecutors have charged Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa with three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal taxes — drawing an admission from him of wrongdoing, but support from the mayor and City Council members.

De Sousa, 53, willfully failed to file federal tax returns for 2013, 2014 and 2015 despite having been a salaried employee of the Police Department in those years, prosecutors said Thursday.

After the charges were unsealed, De Sousa admitted he did not file federal returns — as well as state taxes — for the three years. He said he filed taxes for 2016 and received an extension for 2017.

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De Sousa faces as much as one year in prison and a $25,000 fine for each of the three counts. His initial court appearance has not been scheduled.

Mayor Catherine Pugh expressed “full confidence” in De Sousa.

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The police union that represents rank-and-file officers called on De Sousa to take a leave of absence pending the resolution of the federal case.

Councilman Brandon Scott, {snip} also expressed his faith in De Sousa, but said the commissioner has put city leaders in a difficult position. He said he would be speaking with the mayor about De Sousa’s future.

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According to charging documents, De Sousa earned $93,104 in 2013, when he is first accused of failing to file taxes. He earned $101,985 in 2014 and $127,089 in 2015.

De Sousa noted that he had paid some federal, state and local taxes during those years through the withholdings on his paychecks. He said he was working with a tax adviser to address the delinquent filings.

“Naturally, this is a source of embarrassment for me and I deeply regret any embarrassment it has caused the Police Department and the city,” he said in the statement. “I accept full responsibility.”

The Police Department routinely suspends with pay officers accused of a misdemeanors pending the outcome of the case. De Sousa remained on the job Thursday. He currently earns a salary of $210,000 a year.

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De Sousa was promoted to Baltimore’s top cop in January after Pugh fired former Commissioner Kevin Davis. She cited stubbornly high levels of violent crime under Davis’ tenure.

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sDe Sousa isn’t the only public official in the Baltimore area to face federal charges for failing to file taxes. In 2011, former Anne Arundel County Councilman Daryl Jones pleaded guilty to failing to file federal taxes. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted that he failed to file personal income tax returns for four years and quarterly business payroll tax returns for six years. Jones operated a tavern and a law firm. He agreed to pay $108,369.57 and served five months in jail in early 2012.