Jerome Prince, 60, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon following his plea of guilty to an Information charging wire fraud announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
According to documents in the case, Prince, who served from 2020 to 2023 as Mayor of Gary, Indiana, illegally used approximately $26,750 of his campaign committee funds for a non-campaign purpose of financing the purchase of his personal residence.
“By entering into a plea agreement to the criminal Information, former Mayor Prince demonstrated that he accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Johnson noted that it “is in the best interests of our society, the citizens of the Northern District of Indiana, and criminal defendants themselves, when individuals swiftly and completely accept responsibility for their crimes, as Mr. Prince did here.”
“I want to thank the FBI for the thorough investigation which supported this prosecution,” added Johnson.
“Serving the public as mayor is a privilege, not an opportunity to exploit the position for personal gain. This sentence should send a clear message that public officials who betray the trust of their communities will be held accountable for their actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton.
Stapleton reiterated the FBI’s commitment to investigating and uncovering corruption at all levels of government and will continue to work diligently to ensure those who engage in illegal conduct face responsibility for their decisions.
