Former Prince George's Co. councilmember accused of embezzlement to appear in court

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — A former Prince George's County councilmember accused of embezzling campaign funds for personal expenses is set to appear in court next week.

Mel Franklin's embezzlement charge resulted in the need for a special election to fill his seat earlier this month. Franklin is set to appear in Anne Arundel County circuit court on Aug. 26 for a plea hearing, according to court records. That date is subject to change. 

The scheduling of a plea hearing doesn't mean a plea is final. It has to be accepted by the judge. It's not clear whether Franklin has entered into an agreement with prosecutors. 

Franklin resigned from the council in June. 

Franklin served as the councilman representing District 9 from 2010 to 2018, and he was the at-large councilman representing all of Prince George's County from 2018 until his resignation. 

Investigators say Franklin formed his campaign committee "Friends of Mel Franklin" in 2009 to help raise money for his election to the Prince George's County Council. He has been listed as the chairperson of the campaign committee for 15 years.

According to charges filed on Thursday, from 2020 to at least October 2023, Franklin is accused of embezzling $124,450 from the "Friends of Mel Franklin" campaign account by moving the money electronically or by writing checks to his personal bank account. Detectives say Franklin used the funds from the campaign account to pay for personal loans and credit card debt, his personal rent, personal subscriptions and cosmetic procedures for him and a friend.

In one instance, investigators charged that Franklin spent funds on a 'one-night stay' in an executive suite at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor. Less than a year later, he spent campaign funds on a hotel room at The Westin in the same area. 

In addition, from 2021 to Dec. 18, 2023, the charges allege Franklin was involved in a similar scheme where he embezzled $8,718 from the campaign account directly to third parties to pay for his personal expenses. He is alleged to have moved money from the campaign account to a friend, used the debit card associated with the campaign account to fund personal hotel-stays and cosmetic procedures for a friend, and made a deposit from the campaign account for an international trip in 2024. Franklin also paid off his personal credit card and paid for the upkeep of his personal car using the stolen funds, court documents say. 

Investigators say Franklin did not report the expenses described above on the required campaign finance reports. The charges accuse Franklin of falsifying information in reports to the State Board of Elections, including loan details, repayments and bank balances.