Former Maryland Law Enforcement Officers Convicted of Arson and Fraud Conspiracy

A federal jury has found two former law enforcement officers guilty of multiple charges stemming from a complex scheme involving arson and fraudulent claims made to insurance companies and financial institutions. Philip James Dupree, 41, a former officer with the Fairmount Heights Police Department, and Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., 38, a former Prince George’s County Police Department officer, were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. The verdicts were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

The indictment detailed two separate fraud operations orchestrated by Dupree, Johnson, and other individuals. The first involved an insurance fraud scheme where the two officers allegedly conspired to destroy Johnson’s Ford F450 truck, which was experiencing mechanical issues, through arson in November 2018. Dupree, while on duty, reportedly discovered the burning vehicle and filed a false impound report. Johnson subsequently filed a total loss claim with his insurance company, submitting altered telephone records to conceal a conversation he had with Dupree shortly before the truck was found. An investigator hired by the insurer determined the fire was intentionally set. The insurance company paid over $68,000 to the truck’s lienholder, partly based on the fraudulent police report and doctored records.

The second fraudulent operation, which took place between May and June 2019, involved Dupree, Johnson, and their co-conspirators attempting to defraud three financial institutions. This scheme centered on withdrawing money from their bank accounts through ATMs and then falsely reporting the funds as stolen to seek reimbursement. To support these claims, Dupree and Johnson allegedly coordinated the creation of false police reports indicating that their debit cards had been stolen and used without authorization. One particular police report submitted by Dupree was reportedly fabricated, never entered into the official Prince George’s County Record Management System, and even named a non-existent police officer as its preparer. Johnson’s name was also listed as the victim in a report generated by another co-conspirator. These fraudulent claims were submitted to financial institutions seeking reimbursement for the purported unauthorized ATM withdrawals.

Both defendants face significant prison sentences. For conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison. The arson charge carries a penalty of at least five years and up to 20 years imprisonment, while the conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud charges could result in up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing for Dupree is scheduled for February 19, 2026, and Johnson’s sentencing is set for February 23, 2026.

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), with assistance from the Fairmount Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and LaShanta Harris prosecuted the case.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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