Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie Ousted After Felony Theft Case

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Dion Guthrie, an 86-year-old Democrat who represented District A as a County Councilman, has pleaded no contest to stealing funds from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1501 that he spearheaded for more than 50 years.

Guthrie entered a "nolo contendere" plea in Baltimore County Circuit Court, which meant there was enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilty. The plea also meant he has been removed from office. He was charged with a single felony theft charge involving more than $23,000.

Guthrie’s attorney, Domenic Iamele, said after the hearing Thursday morning that his client planned to serve the two remaining years of his term. But the state constitution requires the removal of elected officials who are convicted of felonies or who plead nolo contendere.

The Harford County Council said in a statement Thursday afternoon that Guthrie had been removed from office and his seat is now considered vacant, the statement said. Prior to the hearing, Guthrie of Joppa paid almost $23,500 in restitution, according to The Baltimore Banner.

The remaining council members must now appoint someone within 60 days from a list of at least three names that the Harford County Democratic Central Committee submits to fill the vacancy, according to the statement from the County Council.

According to court documents, Guthrie stole money from the local union between 2017 and 2021 to pay for personal expenses such as condo and homeowner association fees. In 2021, Lonnie Stephenson, the president of the IBEW at the time, placed the local under trusteeship after discovering “significant irregularities in the operations,” according to a statement. After an investigation, the IBEW informed the U.S. Department of Labor that it had uncovered “potentially unlawful conduct.”

The Office of Labor-Management Standards discovered that Guthrie misappropriated more than $60,500, which including making 179 purchases on a union credit card at businesses including Spirit Airlines, Burlington and Amazon Music. He admitted that some of those charges were for personal use, according to an investigative report.