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Jury Convicts District Heights Mayor of Misconduct in Office

District Heights Mayor Eddie L. Martin. City of District Heights photo

The mayor of District Heights has been convicted of Misconduct in Office by a Prince George’s County jury, Acting Interim State Prosecutor Kelly B. Madigan announced on Wednesday.

Prosecutors alleged that Mayor Eddie L. Martin used government stationery to authorize the purchase of approximately $50,000 in fireworks in 2017.

That purchase was “unlawful,” they claimed, because he “represented that these fireworks were to be used on behalf of the City of District Heights” when in reality he “was aware that he was authorizing the purchase for an acquaintance for his own benefit.”

The jury convicted Martin after a two-day trial before Circuit Court Judge Tiffany H. Anderson earlier this week.

According to the State Prosecutor, Misconduct in Office is a common law misdemeanor that carries “any potential sentence that is not cruel and unusual.”

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.

District Heights is a town of approximately 6,000 people located near the Prince George’s/District of Columbia border.

Whether Martin is still mayor could not be determined on Wednesday. He didn’t immediately respond to an email sent to his official email account.

In a very brief phone interview, City Manager Sharla Crutchfield refused to answer questions. “We have no comment at the time,” she said. “Have a wonderful day. Thank you,” she added, before hanging up.

The mayor and City Commission are scheduled to meet on Thursday but the agenda had not been posted online Wednesday afternoon.

Asked whether Martin had reimbursed the city for the fireworks, City Treasurer Dan Baden said in an email, “The City never made payment on the fireworks so he does not owe the city anything.”

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Jury Convicts District Heights Mayor of Misconduct in Office