Former-Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl DeSousa was ordered to surrender his guns and passport pending the outcome of his tax crimes trial.
Darryl DeSousa has had a spectacular fall from grace. Sousa had spent 30 years on the force in Baltimore and had only spent four months leading the department. Now, he is a defendant in a criminal case. Back in January, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh fired then-Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, citing a need to reduce the city's violent crime epidemic. She immediately turned to DeSousa, touting his career experience as the missing link to lead the city's police force to greatness. But just four months into the job, Darryl DeSousa was forced to step down after an investigation into his taxes yielded charges. He has been indicted on three counts of failing to submit a federal tax return in 2013, 2014, and 2015. If convicted on all three charges, he faces up to three years in prison and a maximum of $75,000 in fines.
No longer a police officer, DeSousa is realizing the harsh truths of life as a criminal defendant. During his first hearing, where the charges were formally explained to him, the judge ordered Darryl DeSousa to surrender his firearms and passport pending trial.
It is unusual for the former cop to have to surrender his firearms considering that the charges against him are for non-violent crimes. On top of that, forcing him to surrender his passport is a move usually reserved for flight risks.
Nevertheless, those were the judge's orders. Darryl DeSousa was ordered to surrender his firearms to police by Wednesday and his passport to prosecutors by June 7. He was also ordered not to change his address in Baltimore without first notifying the court.
DeSousa has acknowledged that he failed to file his tax returns those years, but adds that federal taxes were automatically withheld from his police paychecks. When the charges came down, DeSousa's only excuse was that he was too involved in his work and had "failed to prioritize [his] personal affairs." He also promised that he was working with a tax professional to rectify the situation.
Initially, Pugh expressed confidence that Darryl DeSousa would fix whatever tax issues he had. But now that he has resigned, the mayor begins the second search for a Baltimore police commissioner in less than half a year. In the meantime, Pugh has appointed Deputy Commissioner Gary Tuggle as the interim Baltimore police commissioner. After taking heat for what City Council members called sub-par vetting, Pugh's office is promising to fully vet the candidates for the position before naming anyone.
Finding a permanent replacement could not be more important. While Baltimore has so far seen 17 homicides in May (down from a high of 38 homicides last May), there were 34 reported slayings in April, worrying experts that Baltimore's crime epidemic could get worse before it gets better. Thanks to Baltimore's shrinking population, 2017 actually saw the most murders per capita in Baltimore's history.
