Jerome Prince, former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, has been sentenced for wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon delivered the sentence after Prince pled guilty to charges involving the misuse of campaign funds. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Court documents reveal that Prince used approximately $26,750 from his campaign committee for personal purposes, specifically to finance his residence. He served as mayor from 2020 to 2023.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson stated, “By entering into a plea agreement to the criminal Information, former Mayor Prince demonstrated that he accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct.” He emphasized the importance of individuals accepting responsibility for their crimes and expressed gratitude towards the FBI for their investigation.
FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton commented on the case: “Serving the public as mayor is a privilege, not an opportunity to exploit the position for personal gain.” He highlighted that this sentence serves as a warning to public officials about accountability and affirmed the FBI's commitment to investigating government corruption.
The United States Attorney encourages anyone with information regarding public corruption in Northern Indiana to contact either their office or the FBI in Merrillville.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Philip C. Benson prosecuted the case.