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April 3, 2014: Philip Harrison II Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft of Campaign Funds

For Immediate Release                                               

                                                   

PHILIP HARRISON II, GRANDSON OF LATE STATE DELEGATE HATTIE HARRISON, PLEADS GUILTY TO FELONY THEFT OF CAMPAIGN FUNDS

State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt announced today that Philip Harrison, II, 35, grandson of the late State Delegate Hattie Harrison, pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County to felony theft of campaign funds. The Honorable Paul A.

Hackner imposed a sentence of 5 years suspend all but 15 days with 3 years of supervised probation. Judge Hackner also sentenced Mr. Harrison to perform 200 hours of community service and to pay restitution in the amount of$17,628.00. Mr. Harrison, who presently lives in Salisbury, Maryland, served as Treasurer of the “Hattie N. Harrison for Delegate” campaign committee from July of2006 through November of2009.

According to a Statement of Facts presented to the court, while serving as Campaign Treasurer, Mr. Harrison wrote numerous unauthorized checks from that campaign account to himself and his then girlfriend and now spouse Rehanna Singletary. After relinquishing his role as Treasurer, he retained a campaign account checkbook and continued until 2010 writing checks to himself and Ms. Singletary as well as paying several Comcast and Verizon bills by forging the present Treasurer’s name. Between August of 2006 and August of 2010, Harrison stole $17,628.00 from the campaign account. A copy of the complete statement of facts submitted to the court is available at www.ospmd.org.

State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt stated: “No candidate or campaign finance officer can possibly be unaware that campaign funds may not be converted to the personal use of a candidate or officer. Misuse or theft of campaign funds simply cannot be tolerated. “


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