Bennard Cann, who served as mayor of Morningside from 2016 to 2025, has been indicted on seven counts stemming from allegations that he stole from two municipal organizations where he worked as treasurer. The 52-year-old faces charges including theft scheme and embezzlement and fraudulent misappropriation, with the alleged conduct stretching from February 2017 through January 2025 — nearly the entirety of his time holding both treasurer posts.
According to The Baltimore Banner, Cann has been indicted on charges of embezzlement and fraudulent misappropriation tied to his tenure as treasurer of both the Maryland Mayors Association and the Prince George’s County Municipal Association. The indictment includes one count of theft scheme valued at $100,000, three counts of theft scheme valued between $25,000 and $100,000, and three counts of embezzlement and fraudulent misappropriation, the outlet reports. Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced the indictment, though prosecutors have not disclosed the total alleged loss, how the money was allegedly taken or used, or how the suspected scheme was uncovered, as DailyVoice.com notes.
Audit Flagged Unauthorized ATM Withdrawals
Cann served as treasurer of the Prince George’s County Municipal Association until June 2024, remaining on its board until he resigned in February 2025, when an audit turned up financial discrepancies, including unauthorized ATM transactions, per the same Banner report. Board members Sarah Franklin and Celina Benitez uncovered more than $14,000 in questionable transactions in the association’s bank account, the station's report states.
That figure later grew. Officials said during a November 2025 College Park City Council meeting that the questionable transactions totaled more than $30,000, according to a separate Baltimore Banner report. It is not clear from available reporting whether the two figures describe the same set of transactions or different stages of the review.
Case Moved Through Months of Review Before Indictment
The Maryland Municipal League stripped the Prince George’s County Municipal Association of its financial independence on February 18, 2025, the same Banner account notes. Prince George’s County law enforcement has been investigating financial irregularities in the association, and the Maryland Municipal League referred the matter to Jackson’s office for review in June 2025 before the indictment was handed up this month.
The association exists to provide networking opportunities and fund lobbying efforts on behalf of Prince George’s County’s 27 municipalities, according to the Banner's reporting, underscoring the stakes for local towns that relied on the group’s finances being handled properly.
Cann Left Office Amid the Fallout
Cann withdrew from the 2025 Morningside mayoral reelection race in April 2025, as the financial investigation into the municipal association was unfolding, per the Banner's earlier report. He was served with a criminal summons and is scheduled for an initial court appearance on October 30, and he remains out of custody, the outlet reports.
The case centers on a former elected official entrusted with two organizations' books, and it remains a developing story. Prosecutors have not detailed Cann's response to the indictment, and it is not yet known how he will plead at his upcoming court date.
