The Delaware Department of Justice is pursuing two separate cases against officials it says violated public trust.
“We cannot and will not tolerate violations of the public trust,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a statement Tuesday.
One indictment alleges William Freeborn, then head of the Wilmington Land Bank, knowingly accepted at least $28,000 for properties the Land Bank didn’t own. He quietly resigned from the organization last spring, around the time the alleged conduct ended.
Freeborn is charged with theft by false promise and misapplication of property, which are felonies, as well as misdemeanor official misconduct. He could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
The second indictment is against former state Rep. and current state Department of Health and Social Services official Rebecca Walker. It alleges that in her role as deputy director of the state Division of Forensic Science, between 2015 and 2020, she falsified records of employees under her, saying they passed alcohol tests they didn’t receive.
She’s charged with several misdemeanors including official misconduct, and could face up to three years in prison.
The state Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust (DCRPT ) will prosecute the cases. The unit gained division status last spring.
“We fought hard to make DCRPT a permanent part of our office, and these cases are a reminder of why its mission is so important,” Jennings said. “Nobody should be beneath justice, and nobody – no matter their title – should be above the law.”
