Former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson received a sentence of 7 years in prison from a Federal judge on Tuesday in a pay-to-play scandal that rocked the county. Johnson, once the county’s top prosecutor, had faced up to 14 years in prison.
His sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Peter Messite was less than the 14 years Federal prosecutors had sought. They described his crimes as “one of the most egregious and notorious” corruption schemes in state history.
Johnson took anywhere from $400,000 to $1 million in bribes and kickbacks, in exchange for helping developers secure federal funding. He pleaded guilty in May. Johnson’s wife, Leslie Johnson, pleaded guilty to witness and evidence tampering when she stuffed nearly $80,000 in her bra during a federal agent search of the Johnson house. Her sentencing is Friday.
