The charges allege that from 2020 through at least October 2023, the former Councilman embezzled $124,450 from the Friends of Mel Franklin campaign account by electronically transferring funds or writing checks to his personal bank account. According to the charges, Franklin used the funds from the campaign account to pay for, among other things, personal loans and credit card debt, his personal rent, personal subscriptions, and cosmetic procedures for him and a close friend. Source: Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor