Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is stepping down, the result of a guilty plea entered Wednesday on one count of perjury.Dixon's resignation will become official Feb. 4, when she is sentenced. Dixon, a Democrat, was convicted in December on one count of embezzlement stemming from her use of gift cards given to the city by Patrick Turner, a developer. Turner claimed the gift cards were intended for the needy.
The trial offered a window into what critics have long derided as a pay-to-play mentality at City Hall that tarnished Baltimore's reputation.
Dixon will receive four years probation as part of her plea. The mayor will hold a press conference is at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
Dixon was the former president of the Baltimore City Council who became mayor in January 2007. She ascended to the top job after then Mayor Martin O'Malley became governor, defeating Republican Robert Ehrlich.
Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will ascend to the top job after Dixon's resignation.