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Baltimore man convicted on false testimony wins 100K payment

BALTIMORE (AP) — Officials in Maryland's largest city approved a $100,000 settlement Wednesday for a man who drew a firearms conviction based on the false testimony of a police officer later found guilty of perjury.

Baltimore’s Board of Estimates voted unanimously to grant the settlement to Yusef Smith, who was convicted of illegal possession of a handgun and other firearm charges in 2018, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Former Officer Michael O’Sullivan was accused of writing a false statement and testifying at trial that he saw Smith throw a gun down during his arrest, according to a copy of the board’s agenda obtained by The Sun.

Smith spent more than two months in jail before his conviction was dismissed, according to the board's documents. Prosecutors said they reviewed body camera video which showed “O’Sullivan could not have seen what he testified to under oath."

O’Sullivan was convicted of perjury and misconduct in office in 2019 and sentenced to 15 months in jail.

Smith’s attorney, Steve Silverman, praised the settlement, calling it an example of the city “doing the right thing in making amends to citizens harmed by the police.”