Maryland Lawmaker Charged With Theft, Embezzlement

Maryland residents trust politicians to do the right thing, although that can be hard nowadays. It seems like there’s dirt on just about everyone, with some lawmakers even committing crimes.

Maryland residents may be shocked to hear that a long-time politician is facing jail time for theft and embezzlement crimes. Rick Impallaria, a Republican who represents portions of Baltimore and Harford counties, is facing multiple counts of misconduct. He has served in Annapolis for two decades.

Prosecution has filed a criminal information against Impallaria in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. The theft and embezzlement charges are related to rental payments for a river cottage in Baltimore County. Impallaria allegedly paid his landlord with rental payments from the General Assembly. The rental in question was for a “district office” that was actually outside of his district. It also happened to be next door to a cottage he rented for personal use from the same landlord.

What was concerning was the price of the rent. The General Assembly paid double the amount of rent for Impallaria’s “district office” than any other tenant in that same community. And once the General Assembly began paying rent on the “district office,” Impallaria mysteriously stopped paying rent on the neighboring personal cottage.

The two buildings were in either the state’s 6th or 7th legislative district. After redistricting in 2012, both buildings were located in the 6th District, while Impallaria represented the 7th District.

Between July 2012 and May 2022, the state of Maryland paid a total of $92,800 in rent for the “district office.” During that same time, Impallaria lived for free in his neighboring cottage. He paid no rent. Impallaria’s legislative aide confirmed the lease for the district office property.

On top of that, Impallaria was reimbursed by the state for $2,405.30 in office furniture even though he never purchased the items. He filed a false invoice and instead used the money on

fundraising letters for his campaign entity, Friends of Rick Impallaria.

Each member of the General Assembly is allowed to claim a district office expense. Members are given an annual allowance to maintain a district office and related operating expenses. However, they cannot use it for non-legislative purposes, such as campaign or personal expenses. Lawmakers are also not allowed to pay themselves as landlords of a district office property nor can they legally receive rent payments for office space in their own residence.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Embezzlement is a growing crime that is committed by people from all walks of life who are influenced by money.

While embezzlement and other white collar crimes are not violent, they do leave victims without their hard-earned money, which can be emotionally devastating. Because of this, these crimes are punished harshly. Get aggressive legal representation from a Columbia white collar crime lawyer from The Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. To schedule a free consultation, fill out the online form or call (410) 774-5987. We have two offices to serve you.

Source:

marylandmatters.org/2022/07/27/maryland-delegate-charged-with-theft-of-state-funds-for-district-office-outside-his-district/

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