Gift Thief

Mayor of Baltimore Sheila Dixon has been convicted by a court of the single charge of taking gift cards intended for the city’s poor worth $630. “Although Dixon was acquitted of a felony theft charge, her misdemeanor conviction could force her from office. Jurors deliberated more than six days after hearing the Democrat was accused of using or keeping $630 worth of gift cards. She allegedly solicited most of the cards from a wealthy developer and then bought electronics at Best Buy, clothes at Old Navy and other items at Target. The jury convicted her on one count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and acquitted her on two counts of felony theft and one count of misconduct in office. Jurors failed to reach a verdict on another count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary. The conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but prosecutors have not decided whether they will seek jail time.”