Former Baltimore mayor sentenced to three years for fraud

The former mayor of Baltimore was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday on corruption charges related to sales of her self-published children's book to companies with close ties to state and local government.

Catherine Pugh, a 69-year-old Democrat who resigned last year, was also ordered to pay around USD 1 million in restitution, according to a statement from the federal prosecutor for the US East Coast state of Maryland.

She pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion in November for raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling her "Healthy Holly" children's books to local organisations to which she had ties -- sometimes without delivering the books.

"I accept total responsibility," Pugh said in a video in which she expressed regret for tarnishing Baltimore's image as the city of some 6,00,000 people grapples with a soaring crime rate, racial unrest and poverty levels that are among the highest in the country.

But Maryland District Court Judge Deborah Chasanow said Thursday, "I have yet frankly to hear any explanation that makes sense."
"This became a very large fraud. The nature and circumstances of this offense clearly I think are extremely, extremely serious."