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April 15, 2016: Indictment of Treasurer of State Delegate’s Campaign Finance Committee Charged With Felony Theft

INDICTMENT

The grand jurors of the State of Maryland for the body of Anne Arundel County do on their oath present that

COUNT I

DAMIANA MURPHY  

From on or about April 29, 2014 through and including on or about September 27, 2015, did conspire with Mary Murphy to steal money having a value exceeding TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), but less than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($100,000.00), the property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer and Mary Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Chairperson of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, did willfully and knowingly conspire together to exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by converting those funds to their personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 15 years and/or $15,000.00

CJIS Code 1C0623 

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT II

DAMIANA MURPHY

From on or about April 29, 2014 and through and including on or about September 27, 2015, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, did knowingly and willfully make disbursements from the designated campaign fund account of Friends of Michael A. Jackson for expenses not in accordance with the purposes of the entity, to wit: made numerous transactions totaling approximately $22,000.00 for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §13-218(b)(1)(ii) of the Election Law Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

(Unlawful Disbursement, Election Law Article §13-218(b)(1)(ii))

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT III

DAMIANA MURPHY

From on or about July 1, 2014 and through and including on or about September 27, 2015, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, did, pursuant to a common scheme and continuing course of conduct, steal money having a value exceeding ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), but less than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully and knowingly exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by withdrawing approximately $5,500.00 in cash from that account for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 10 years and/or $10,000

CJIS Code 1-0632

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT IV

DAMIANA MURPHY

From on or about June 9, 2014 and through and including on or about September 26, 2015, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, did, pursuant to a common scheme and continuing course of conduct, steal money having a value exceeding ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), but less than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully and knowingly exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by using those funds to make numerous gasoline purchases totaling approximately $1,312.95 for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 10 years and/or $10,000

CJIS Code 1-0632 

And the jurors aforesaid on their oath do further present that

COUNT V

DAMIANA MURPHY

From on or about April 29, 2014 and through and including on or about September 24, 2015, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, did, pursuant to a common scheme and continuing course of conduct, steal money having a value exceeding ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), but less than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully and knowingly exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by using those funds to make numerous retail purchases totaling approximately $7,396.00 for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 10 years and/or $10,000

CJIS Code 1-0632

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT VI

DAMIANA MURPHY

On or about July 3, 2014, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, did steal money having a value exceeding ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), but less than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully and knowingly exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by withdrawing $2,700.00 in cash from that account for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 10 years and/or $10,000

CJIS Code 1-0622

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT VII

DAMIANA MURPHY

On or about July 3, 2014, at Anne Arundel County aforesaid, did steal money having a value exceeding ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), but less than TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00), property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully and knowingly exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by issuing a check drawn on the campaign fund account of Friends of Michael A. Jackson payable to Mary Murphy for $4,000.00, for their personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 10 years and/or $10,000

CJIS Code 1-0622

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT VIII

DAMIANA MURPHY

From on or about June 3, 2014 and through and including on or about September 26, 2015, pursuant to a common scheme and continuing course of conduct, did steal money having a value less than ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR ($1000.00), the property of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to wit: Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer, did willfully exert unauthorized control over the funds of Friends of Michael A. Jackson by using those funds to engage in numerous “cash back” transactions totaling approximately $900.00, for her personal use and benefit, in violation of §7-104 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-104

Penalty 18 months and/or $500.00

CJIS Code 1-0631

And the jurors aforesaid upon their oath do further present that

COUNT IX

DAMIANA MURPHY 

From on or about April 29, 2014 through and including on or about September 27, 2015, Damiana Murphy being then and there the duly appointed Treasurer of the campaign finance entity Friends of Michael A. Jackson, a responsible officer of that entity charged with the fiduciary duty to ensure that the funds of that campaign finance entity are used only for its designated purpose, in violation of said fiduciary duty, did fraudulently and willfully misappropriate campaign funds to wit: approximately $22,220.00, held by her in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of Friends of Michael A. Jackson, to her personal use and benefit contrary to the trust reposed in her, in violation of §7-113 of the Criminal Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and against the peace, government and dignity of the State.

Criminal Law Article §7-113

Penalty 5 years

  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ____________________________________                                                                        EMMET C. DAVITT

                           STATE PROSECUTOR

                                   Office of the State Prosecutor

                           Suite 410, Hampton Plaza

                  300 E. Joppa Road

                             Towson, Maryland 21286

              (410) 321-4067


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