WASHINGTON (WUSA/AP) -- Former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson has pleaded guilty to extortion and witness tampering. The judge accepted the plea.
Under the plea agreement, Johnson will have to forfeit proceeds from the crimes. He also faces a possible 20-year sentence for each charge and $250,000 in fines. Sentencing is set for September 15. He will remain under home monitoring until that time.
He's accused by federal prosecutors of accepting campaign contributions and other gifts in exchange for helping developers secure millions of dollars in federal grant money.
After the hearing on Tuesday, the court unsealed records of three related cases. Those records include:
- Former Director of the Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development James Edward Johnson, age 66, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 28, 2011 to conspiracy to commit extortion. James Johnson and Jack Johnson are not related.
- Dr. Mirza Hussain Baig, age 67, of Burtonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2011 to conspiracy to commit extortion in connection with paying bribes to Jack Johnson and James Johnson.
- Patrick Q. Ricker, age 52, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty on December 30, 2009 to conspiring to commit honest services fraud and to make false statements to the Federal Election Commission; and to tax evasion. These three guilty pleas were previously entered under seal.
Jack Johnson, 62, was arrested in November along with his wife, Leslie Johnson, after FBI agents listened to a telephone conversation in which he advised her to flush a $100,000 check from a developer down the toilet and conceal nearly $80,000 in cash in her underwear.
Leslie Johnson was elected to the County Council shortly before her arrest and was sworn in despite calls from several council members that she step aside. She was scheduled to enter a guilty plea earlier this month, but the hearing was abruptly canceled. Any felony conviction would force her to give up her office.
VIEW: Jack Johnson's Plea (PDF)
SEE: Patrick Ricker's Plea (PDF)
VIEW: James Johnson's Plea (PDF)
SEE: Mirza Baig's Plea (PDF)
JOIN: The discussion about Jack Johnson's guilty plea on Facebook
CATCH UP WITH: Scott Broom on Twitter.
Jack Johnson's attorney, Billy Martin, did not return calls and emails seeking comment. The Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office announced in a statement that Johnson was scheduled for a re-arraignment but did not comment further. Leslie Johnson's attorneys also did not return messages late Monday.
Jack Johnson, a Democrat, led the county of more than 860,000 people from 2002-2010 and was arrested with less than a month left in his term. Prince George's is the nation's wealthiest majority-black jurisdiction, but it has long been plagued by crime, corruption and failing schools.
He was indicted in February on charges of extortion, bribery, witness and evidence tampering and conspiracy. Prosecutors accused him of accepting more than $200,000 in cash, campaign contributions and other gifts to help developers. He would have faced decades in prison if convicted of all charges at trial.
The FBI tapped Johnson's phones for nearly a year, and prosecutors released detailed transcripts of colorful telephone conversations between Johnson and his alleged co-conspirators.
The highlight was a frantic Johnson instructing his wife to flush the check from a developer down the toilet and hide cash in her underwear as FBI agents knocked on the door of their Mitchellville home.
"Do you want me to put it down the toilet?" Leslie Johnson asked her husband, according to the documents.
"Yes, flush that," Johnson said.
He then instructed his wife to hide $79,600 in her bra and underwear, where FBI agents found it after searching her, the documents show.
Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker's statement on the plea agreement:
"Today's events remind us of our solemn responsibility as public officials to our constituents. Our obligation at this point is to restore this community's trust. The people of Prince George's County are strong and resolute. Violations of public trust happen in every industry and institution.
The news about the former County Executive is by no means reflective of the people of Prince George's County or employees of its government. By now you all should have observed we have made appropriate moves to improve our processes.
We will aim high. As unfortunate as the incidents of the past were, we are restoring our reputation as a preeminent jurisdiction. We are moving forward with integrity and we have a great opportunity to redefine our way of doing business in order to grow the county and fuel the jurisdiction with the greatest potential in the entire metropolitan region.
I will say a prayer for all those involved, their families and the many people whose lives have been altered by these events. However, as I have said many times since these charges were brought forth, I remain focused on moving Prince George's County forward and making sure that every individual in this County gets a government they deserve and is as good as they are.
I am proud to be Prince George's County Executive. I am proud of the work our County employees are doing. And I am proud to live and raise my family here in this great County. God Bless Prince George's County."