(Thursday, June 20, 2024) – Less than a week after he abruptly resigned from the Prince George’s County Council, Mel Franklin today was charged with embezzlement.

Prosecutors say Franklin used at least 130,000 from his “Friends of Mel Franklin” campaign to pay for personal loans, credit card debt, his rent, cosmetic procedures, and other things from 2020 through 2023. In announcing the charges, the Maryland Office of State Prosecutors revealed the scheme also included falsifying information on reports filed with the State Board of Elections.

Franklin, a practicing attorney, faces 10 counts of felony theft, embezzlement, and perjury. He resigned from his council seat last Friday without making a statement. Franklin joined the council in 2010 serving two full terms as District 9 council-member until 2018. He went on to become an at-large council-member.

A special election will be held to fill the council’s vacant seat.