After pleading guilty to stealing
more than $86,000 from a youth basketball club, the former mayor of Atlantic
City was recently sentenced to 30 days in prison and 11 months of home
confinement. The former mayor has been ordered to pay restitution to his
victims in the amount of $86,790 and perform 200 hours of community service.
Former mayor of Atlantic City, New
Jersey, Frank Gilliam was a co-founder of AC Starz Basketball Club and
incorporated the nonprofit organization in 2011. While serving as a member of
the Atlantic City Council in 2013 and later, as mayor of Atlantic City in 2018,
Gilliam solicited donations for AC Starz from various individuals and entities
under the false pretense that the contributions were for a youth basketball
team.
Instead, Gilliam used most of the
donations to purchase expensive
clothing, trips, and meals for himself. Abusing the power of his office
while neglecting underprivileged children, Gilliam defrauded the contributors
of at least $86,790.
On October 3, 2019, the Justice
Department announced Gilliam had pled guilty to one count of wire
fraud after defrauding contributors of AC Starz Basketball Club. A few
hours later, Gilliam submitted his resignation letter.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge
Joseph H. Rodriguez sentenced Gilliam to 30 days in federal prison followed by
11 months of home confinement. Gilliam also received three years of supervised
release, ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $86,790 and
ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
“I stand before this court as a
fractured human being,” Gilliam told Judge Rodriguez at his sentencing.
“The mistake that I made is not something that I am proud of. It is something
that I’m very ashamed of…I want to apologize to this court for being in front
of you when I knew better.”