The former mayor of Morningside has been indicted on charges of embezzlement and fraudulent misappropriation, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson announced Friday.
Bennard Cann, 52, is facing one count of theft scheme with a value of $100,000, three counts of theft scheme with a value of $25,000 to $100,000 and three counts of embezzlement and fraudulent misappropriation, according to Jackson’s office.
A spokesperson for Jackson said Cann has been served a criminal summons and his initial court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. He remains out of custody. He did not return a phone message Friday afternoon.
The charges relate to Cann’s tenure as treasurer of the Maryland Mayors Association and the Prince George’s County Municipal Association, groups that provide networking opportunities and fund lobbying efforts for the county’s municipalities and elected leaders.
Cann served as treasurer of the municipal association until June 2024 and remained on the board until his resignation in February 2025, when an audit revealed financial discrepancies, including unauthorized ATM transactions.
He served as mayor of Morningside, a town of about 1,000 people north of Joint Base Andrews, from 2016 to 2025. He ended his 2025 reelection campaign after the audit came to light.
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Fellow board members Sarah Franklin and Celina Benitez uncovered more than $14,000 in questionable transactions in the association’s bank account under Cann’s watch, The Banner previously reported.
They shared their concerns with the Maryland Municipal League, the association’s umbrella organization. Shortly after, the league’s controller initiated an audit.
Franklin declined to comment. Benitez did not immediately return a phone call and text message.
Quianna Taylor, who took over as president of the municipal association when Cann resigned but is no longer a member, said she hopes the public doesn’t lose faith in these organizations.
“I hope that, for those who need it, they feel justice has been served,” she said. “And the work will have to continue to regain trust.”
Taylor said she got to know Cann when she was elected to the Brentwood Town Council. She looked up to him and came to him with questions, she said. But she hasn’t spoken to him since he resigned from the municipal association two years ago.
“In spite of this with Mayor Cann, as far as I know, he did look out for his community,” Taylor said. “People are complex. I don’t know that people are all good or all bad. He may have done some bad things, but he has also done some good things.”
Maryland Municipal League CEO Theresa Kuhns said in an emailed statement that “the league takes seriously its responsibility to protect the resources of MML and its affiliated organizations.”
“The charges announced today are allegations that will now proceed through the criminal justice system, and we’ll leave questions of guilt and evidence to prosecutors and the courts,” she said. “We believe it’s appropriate to allow the criminal justice process to proceed before considering any further public comment.”
According to Jackson’s office, the allegations span February 2017 to January 2025. Charging documents were not available Friday afternoon.
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