Ex-US lawmaker sentenced to prison for misappropriation

Former Maryland state lawmaker, Tawanna Gaines was sentenced Friday to six months in prison followed by two months of home detention for misusing campaign funds for her personal benefit.

Tawanna Gaines, a Democrat who had served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2001, also must pay $22,565 in restitution.

The 67-year-old pleaded not guilty in October to one count of wire fraud.
She faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but federal sentencing guidelines called for a range of eight to 14 months.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang was not bound by those guidelines when he sentenced Gaines, who must report to prison by Feb. 24.

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Gaines told the judge that she didn’t want other public officials to be judged by her actions, according to Daily Mail.

“I took my oath very seriously, but I fell short,” she said.

The judge said the prison sentence reflects a need to deter others, particularly public officials, from engaging in “this type of corrupt behavior.”

He called her crime a “lapse in judgment” in an otherwise law-abiding career.

This may not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but it undermines our citizens’ faith in their democracy,” Chuang said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom has said Gaines spent campaign money on personal expenses including fast food, hair styling, dental work, a cover for her swimming pool and an Amazon Prime membership.

The prosecutor, who recommended an eight-month prison sentence, said Gaines made more than 200 illegal withdrawals of money over three years, but it added up to a relatively modest amount.

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