CROOKED PG COUNTY DEMOCRAT DISBARRED FOR LYING — Wow, that’s illegal in Maryland? He was also swindling from his campaign account and that counts too.

Jamel “Mel” Franklin was disbarred in December of 2024, according to Maryland Court Records for the Attorney Grievance Commission. Franklin racked up a DUI while he was a Prince George’s County Council Member when he crashed into another vehicle. Franklin was disbarred for lying, known as perjury, which ought to disqualify just about every Maryland Democrat in the General Assembly who holds a law license and voted to raise taxes and establish a Slave Tax commission.

FROM THE RECORD

FRANKLIN, Jamel R. – Disbarment by Consent on December 23, 2024, effective immediately, for committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as an attorney; and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. The Respondent pled guilty to one count of perjury in violation of Maryland Code, Criminal Law § 9-101; and one count of theft over $100,000.00 in violation of Maryland Code, Criminal Law § 7-104.

August 26, 2024: Former Prince George’s County Council Member Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft Scheme and Perjury

August 26, 2024

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III, announced on August 24, 2024, that Jamel R. Franklin, former Prince George’s County Council Member, pleaded guilty to a Felony Theft Scheme over $100,000, and Perjury.

The Honorable Mark W. Crooks accepted Franklin’s guilty plea in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. Sentencing has been set for November 13, 2024, at 1:30 pm.

According to the statement of facts admitted into the record in support of the plea, Franklin served as the Council Member representing District 9 from 2010 to 2018 and was the At-Large Council Member representing all of Prince George’s County from 2018 through June 2024. He established his campaign committee, “Friends of Mel Franklin,” in 2009 to raise funds for his election to the Prince George’s County Council and has served as the Chairperson for the committee since the committee’s inception.

For example, between January 24-26, 2021, Franklin deposited $23,215 in checks drawn on the campaign bank account and transferred $2,000 via Zelle from the campaign bank account into his personal account, for a total of $25,215 moved from the campaign bank account to Franklin’s personal account. Between January 25-28, 2021, Franklin spent more than $12,000 from his personal account on himself or his personal obligations including: $5,100 to a personal account, $865.90 to Rent-A-Center, $2,346.12 to repay a personal loan, and $1,543.71 to a debt collection agency. Franklin also transferred $4,000 into his savings account and cashed two checks totaling $1,273.89

As part of the stipulated facts within his plea agreement, Franklin admitted to stealing $124,450.10 from the Friends of Mel Franklin campaign from 2020 through October 2023, and using those funds to pay for, among other things, personal loans and credit card debt, his personal rent, and personal subscriptions. He also admitted to using those funds for international trips and spending $11,500 on cosmetic procedures for himself and a close friend.

Franklin further admitted that beginning in 2021 through December 2023, he used an additional $8,718.57 from the campaign account to pay third parties directly for his personal expenses. Franklin used the funds to pay for personal hotel-stays and cosmetic procedures for he and a close friend, and for a deposit for an international trip in 2024. Franklin also admitted to using the funds to pay off his personal credit card and for the upkeep of his personal vehicle.

In addition, Franklin admitted to concealing his use of campaign funds and falsifying information on campaign reports that he signed under the penalties of perjury and submitted to the State Board of Elections.

“Elected officials should be held accountable if they violate the public trust and exploit the Maryland electoral process for personal financial gain,” said State Prosecutor Howard. “I’m proud of our office’s hard work in uncovering this extensive fraud.”