Baltimore Mayor sentenced to 3 years in jail for fraud with her Healthy Holly book series

From The Baltimore Sun and the Can’t Make This Stuff Up department and Memeorandum, we have some crazy news

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has been sentenced to THREE years in jail for a children’s book fraud scheme

The links worth perusing are

1. Baltimore Sun – 3 years in jail for fraud with Healthy Holly children’s book fraud scheme
2. National Review – The Mayor sold $500,000 in copies of her own children’s book series, Healthy Holly, to the University of Maryland Medical System, while she was serving on its board
3. Breitbart – Mayor agrees to 3 years in jail followed by 3 years of supervised release
4. NPR – Prosecutors were asking for 5 years, and her lawyers were asking for 1 year
5. Huffington Post – The fraud generated more than $850,000
6. Fox News – The Judge called it a very large fraud. Pugh was ordered to pay restitution of $400,000 to the University of Maryland Medical System

What exactly was the Fraud that Ex Mayor Catherine Pugh did? How the heck is a Children’s Book Series involved?

To the best of our understanding

1. Ex Mayor Catherine Pugh sold her Healthy Holly series of books to some associations
   1. $500,000 worth to the University of Maryland Medical System (while she was on its board)
   2. $114,000 worth to Kaiser Permanente
   3. $80,000 worth to Associated Black Charities
2. She made a total of $850,000
3. On investigation, this was found to be inappropriate (big surprise)
4. A criminal investigation was started
5. The Ex Mayor was found guilty and sentenced to prison

There are some additional details (unverified) from customers leaving reviews at Amazon

1. Claims that there was a contract where the UMMS would buy her books every two years
2. Claims that the books were never actually distributed and 9,000 were found in a city warehouse in East Baltimore

Please note that this latest set of claims are unverified

All this over a Children’s Book Series?

This is the children’s book series in question

1. Healthy Holly – Exercising is Fun

If that doesn’t say ‘Not worth $850,000 of contracts’ we’re not sure what does

People are joining in and taking the mick. Here are a few reviews

1. R. C. – I bought 50 of these and finally my rooftop deck permit got approved
2. Konstantine Simakis – Execising is fun, but money laundering is funner
3. Amy – Huckster Holly teaches kids how to steal $500,000 and get away with it

Do read the reviews. They are a real hoot

What are the penalties and prison sentence that Ex Mayor Catherine Pugh has received?

1. 3 years in prison
2. 3 years of supervised release after prison
3. Paying restitution of $400,000 to UMMS (University of Maryland Medical System)
4. Additional restitution to other parties

Our Thoughts

Well,, it’s a good thing that people are being punished for such fraud

Now, hopefully things will expand to punish large companies and others in Books & Publishing doing massively illegal things. Illegal activities currently going unchecked in Books & Publishing include

1. Illegal Collusion to prevent self published authors and readers from connecting with each other easily and conveniently
2. Anti Trust Actions that are holding back the free market, and preventing ebooks from becoming a larger part of the Book Business
3. Abuse of Monopoly Power, including excessively burdensome rules and restrictions, and also exclusivity contracts that are against Publishers’ and Authors’ best interests
   1. Contracts that are only being accepted because the monopoly is a monopoly
4. Selling fraudulent services for high prices to new authors, at large prices which have absolutely no bearing on the value being delivered
5. Manipulation of stores and search engines, to prevent small and large new players in books and publishing (including authors and companies and publishers) from getting a fair chance at competing in the market

Way too many people taking advantage of Authors and Publishers