Prince George's County Official Charged With Conspiracy
MITCHELLVILLE, Md. (WJZ)—A Maryland lawmaker is accused of tampering with evidence, even stuffing it down her underwear. Prince George's Councilwoman Leslie Johnson is now facing federal charges.
Kelly McPherson uncovers new details on what happened when the FBI showed up at Johnson's Mitchellville home.
The criminal complaint has been thrown out and the new one that has been filed adds conspiracy charges and sheds more light on that shocking day in November.
Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie-- a newly elected county council member-- have been named as key players in a pay-to-play scheme running rampant across Maryland.
The FBI has released more details of the couple's phone conversations on the day of its raid in a new criminal complaint against Leslie Johnson.
In that conversation, they discuss a $100,000 check made out to the county executive believed to be a bribe from a developer, as well as $80,000 in cash:
Jack Johnson: "You got cash?"
Leslie Johnson: "Hmph hmph."
Jack Johnson: "Okay, um put it in your bra or something like that and walk out of it."
Leslie Johnson: "And then where's the check? Where's the check?"
Jack Johnson: "There's a little box and in the box there's a check. Just tear it up or chew it up or something, OK?"
Leslie Johnson: "What do you want me to do with it?"
Jack Johnson: "Put it in your panties and walk out of the house. Yeah, stuff it in your panties. Yeah, tell 'em you were in the bathroom. And then just open the door and sit down, OK?"
Jack Johnson is the only one who has spoken out.
"I'm innocent of these charges," Jack Johnson said.
Legal experts say this new complaint shines more light on the councilwoman.
"I think that they're going to try to show at trial -- if it gets that far -- that she knew about all of this maybe not since literally from day one, but pretty close to day one. She was helping him cover it up," said Byron Warnken, University of Baltimore.
Both the county councilwoman and the former county executive are out of jail. They've surrendered their passports. There is no hearing scheduled for Leslie Johnson. If found guilty, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
