By Brian Witte, The Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Federal prosecutors have tacked on three additional charges to the indictment against former Maryland State Police Superintendent Edward Norris for allegedly filing false statements on tax returns.
David Irwin, an attorney who is representing Norris, said Tuesday the three counts alleged Norris filed false statements on a tax return in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Norris, who has pleaded innocent to the charges, is accused of misusing thousands of dollars from an off-the-books police fund when he was Baltimore’s police commissioner.
“I’m sure the allegations have to do with the money he received from the supplemental fund,” Irwin said. “If you consider it to be legal that he used it, then their argument is he’d have to pay taxes on it.”
A spokeswoman from the U.S. attorney’s office in Baltimore could not immediately be reached for comment.
In addition to the new false tax return charges, Norris faces four other counts in the federal indictment, which was brought by a grand jury in December. The most serious charge alleges that Norris received a $9,000 loan from an employee for a down payment on his home, but falsely represented the money as a gift from his father.
If convicted on the charge of lying on a mortgage application, Norris could face up to 30 years in prison. Norris also faces up to 15 years in prison for allegedly misusing money from the police fund to finance extramarital affairs with several women.
Norris and his former chief of staff, John Stendrini are accused of misusing more than $20,000 between May 2000 and August 2002 from an account created from three Depression-era charity funds set up to benefit police officers.
Last month, Norris’ attorneys sought to dismiss the charges, saying the federal statute used by U.S. Attorney Thomas DiBiagio to indict Norris was unconstitutional.
The law is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court, which was scheduled to hear arguments on the statute Wednesday. The law allows federal prosecutors to investigate corruption in state and local agencies that have received more than $10,000 in federal aid, but critics contend the law is too broadly drawn.
Stendrini, who also has pleaded innocent, was charged with conspiracy to misapply funds, misapplication of funds and obstruction of justice.
Norris stepped down as head of the state police on Dec. 10 when the indictment against the pair was unsealed.