Former Police Officers Convicted of Fraud

WASHINGTON (7News) — A federal jury has convicted two ex-police officers on several charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, and bank fraud, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Details of the Defendants

Philip James Dupree, 41, from Pikesville, Maryland, served as an officer in the Fairmount Heights Police Department. Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., 38, from Camp Springs, Maryland, was previously with the Prince George’s County Police Department. The two collaborated on two distinct fraudulent schemes, according to a nine-count indictment.

Fraudulent Schemes

The schemes involved submitting false police reports and crafting fictitious loss claims to unlawfully obtain money from an insurance company and three banks, as detailed in court documents.

The Arson Incident

The initial scheme unfolded in November 2018, when Dupree and Johnson plotted the deliberate torching of Johnson’s Ford F450 truck. While on duty, they coordinated for Dupree to “discover” the vehicle ablaze and subsequently filed a deceptive impound report. Johnson later used this report to claim a complete loss from his insurance provider, which disbursed over $68,000 based on the fraudulent information.

Additional Fraudulent Activities

Between May and June 2019, the duo, along with accomplices, engaged in further deception against financial institutions by falsely asserting that their debit cards had been stolen and misused for unauthorized ATM withdrawals. Dupree supported his claims with a fabricated police report that included the name of a nonexistent officer and was never filed in the official records.

Potential Sentencing

Both Dupree and Johnson could face up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, at least five years for arson affecting interstate commerce, and up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud. Their sentencing is set for February 2026.