Posted on 02/05/24
| News Source: WBAL
The jury in Marilyn Mosby’s federal mortgage fraud trial heard hours of closing arguments on Monday.
As Mosby left the court during the lunch break, flanked by her children and surrounded by supporters, she said that she is “grateful.”
Mosby was indicted in January 2022 on two counts each of federal perjury and mortgage fraud charges, which are going to trial separately. The government alleges she lied on loan applications during the purchase of two Florida vacation homes, a home in Kissimmee, Florida, in September 2020 and a condo in Longboat Key, Florida, in February 2021.
In its closing argument, the government told jurors they have all the evidence and testimony they need — including from the defendant herself — to return guilty verdicts.
“The defendant had tremendous knowledge of her tax debt … She knew exactly what was going on. The evidence proves it. Let’s take her at her word,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney said.
Mosby’s began to testify on Wednesday, answering questions from her attorney, saying she was a novice when it came to real estate. Mosby also told the jurors she has a perjury conviction from November 2023 that she intends to appeal. She said she was testifying because she regrets not testifying in her perjury trial, and she wants this jury to hear the truth.
In its closing argument on Monday, the defense argued Mosby is not guilty and urged the jury to look at the big picture, blaming her trusted advisors — including her then-husband, her realtor and her mortgage broker — for filling out the legal documents incorrectly.
“Ms. Mosby isn’t guilty because she wanted to believe in her life partner for just a little too long,” defense attorney Maggie Grace said.
After 4 p.m., judge the read from a long list of instructions for the jury that included the jury need only find unanimous agreement on one alleged false statement per count to return a finding of guilty.
In the perjury case, Mosby faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the two federal counts. Sentencing for that case will take place after the mortgage fraud trial concludes.