Baltimore mayor resigns amid gift card scandal; gets probation for lying about gifts

Baltimore mayor resigns, gets probation in scandal

BALTIMORE — A replacement for the scandal-plagued Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon has been sworn in after Dixon was sentenced to probation for lying about gifts she received.

Thirty-nine-year-old Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was sworn in Thursday, just hours after Dixon was sentenced under a plea deal that required her to resign as mayor.

If Dixon meets the conditions of her probation, her convictions will be wiped from her record.

A jury convicted Dixon in December of embezzling about $500 worth of gift cards donated to the city for needy families. Dixon then pleaded guilty last month to lying about thousands of dollars in gifts from her former boyfriend, a prominent developer.