Edward “Scott” Finn, a former Prince George’s County police officer who faced previous allegations of misconduct, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of tax evasion and obstruction of justice, prosecutors announced Friday.
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Finn, 47, was initially arrested in April after the U.S. attorney’s office for Maryland accused him of failing to disclose more than $1.1 million in taxable income from Edward Finn Inc., his private security business that employed other off-duty police officers.
The indictment includes five counts of tax evasion related to those initial accusations, as well as the new charge of obstruction of justice. Authorities allege in court documents that on the day before his arrest, Finn erased and reset his Apple iPhone as federal agents executed a search warrant on his home.
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“No one is above the law, and this indictment should serve as a stark reminder of that principle,” acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner said in a statement Friday.
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Finn, a former lieutenant with the Prince George’s police department, had been on the force for 25 years. He established his security company in 2011 and used it to employ other officers who were working what the department calls secondary law enforcement employment, according to court documents.
Those working at secondary employment can use their department uniform, vehicle and service weapon to perform security-related jobs for outside, private entities — such as athletic and concert venues, apartment complexes or department stores. From 2014 to 2021, court documents say, Finn used his business to coordinate those jobs for his department colleagues.
The indictment alleges that from 2016 to 2021 he lied on his federal tax returns — underreporting his income by hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years. In that period, court documents allege, Finn deposited more than $1.1 million worth of checks written to the business into his personal bank account and the accounts of his children. Finn is also accused of writing checks from the business account for personal purchases, including a 2015 convertible Chevrolet Corvette, a 1992 Ford Mustang and a boat.
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If convicted, Finn could face decades in prison.
Finn’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before his arrest in April, the police department said Finn had been suspended with pay for an unrelated “personnel” issue the previous month. The department has not disclosed the nature of the suspension, citing state public records laws that prevent the public from seeing police disciplinary files.
On Friday, a police spokesperson said Finn had “separated” from the department in April, but did not specify whether he resigned, retired or was fired.
Finn’s history with the department includes accolades as well as allegations of serious misconduct. He has been awarded the medal of valor three times, but he also has been accused of lying and using excessive force — which was documented by The Washington Post in the early 2000s.
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Finn was cleared by a panel of his peers in those cases, according to Post reporting, and went on to receive raises and promotions. He was also exonerated for his role in the death of 29-year-old Elmer C. Newman Jr., who was high on cocaine when he was arrested by police. He collapsed and died in a holding cell an hour after he was detained.
The arresting officers said his injuries were self-inflicted, but a medical examiner later said police had fractured the man’s ribs and broken bones in his neck.
Finn’s arrest and indictment comes among significant upheaval within the department, which has a new police chief in Malik Aziz and recently spent at least $26 million in attorneys fees and settlement payments to a group of Black and Hispanic officers who in a federal lawsuit alleged systemic discrimination on the force.
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The same week Finn was arrested, County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D) released a statement condemning his alleged misconduct and announcing that she asked for the resignation of her top public safety official. The following week, the Prince George’s state’s attorney announced that another officer, Darryl Wormouth, had been indicted on charges of assault and misconduct in office related to a use-of-force incident involving a teenager.
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