Former Maryland high school football coach arrested by FBI

One of the most successful high school football coaches in Maryland was arrested over the weekend following a federal indictment.

Former Dunbar High School football coach Lawrence Smith, who has won seven state championships, was arrested last Friday on federal wire and fraud charges.

Smith, a 49-year-old police officer, was taken into custody by the FBI on overtime fraud and tax violations dating back to 2005.

A recent report from CBSNews.com shared details from the indictment and described Smith’s acts of fraud. Below is an excerpt from the CBSNews.com story.

This newly unsealed indictment reveals the alleged trail of deceit prosecutors characterize as his fraud scheme.

The Perry Hall resident stands accused of using his position as a manager in his role as a school police officer and later as a detective in which he assigned himself overtime shifts for hours prosecutors say he didn’t work, between January 2019 through August 2022.

Smith is accused of submitting false overtime slips and directing large sums of money into a Bank of America account.

In November 2019, more than $1,600 was deposited in connection to work as a school police officer. A month later, more than $8,100 was deposited.

The following year, $7,200 was deposited.

The indictment also points to submitted W-4 tax forms falsely claiming Smith was exempt from federal income tax withholding. It goes on to show that Smith did not file individual income tax returns for 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Prosecutors claim Smith’s web of deceit reveals he was at home, running personal errands, at other locations socializing, coaching football and even out of state on vacation.

To read the full story from CBSNews.com about the Maryland coach’s arrest, click here.