BALTIMORE, MD – James Phillip Appel, 58, of Annapolis, a treasurer for multiple Maryland political campaigns and organizations, was charged in a federal indictment unsealed Monday with wire fraud and money laundering in an alleged embezzlement scheme totaling about $200,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced the charges on March 30, 2026. Prosecutors allege Appel diverted $100,000 from a Maryland State Delegate’s campaign accounts and another $100,000 from an Anne Arundel County community organization in 2024, then used the funds to support refinancing a loan on his 65-foot Pacific Mariner motoryacht.
Appel faces three counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. If convicted, he could receive up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years on each money laundering count. Actual sentences are determined by a judge after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Appel pleaded not guilty Monday in U.S. District Court.
According to the indictment, in May 2023 Appel transferred $100,000 between two accounts belonging to Politician 1, one for which he served as the sole designated representative. In April 2024 he inquired about refinancing the yacht loan and was asked to provide asset information.
Detailed transfers followed in May 2024: On May 13, Appel moved $40,000 from Politician 1’s Account B to his business account, then $20,000 from the business account to a personal account and $40,000 toward a line of credit. On May 30 he transferred $60,000 from Account B to his business account and then $60,000 to a personal account, for a total of $100,000 allegedly taken from the campaign.
On June 5, 2024, Appel transferred $100,000 from the Anne Arundel community organization account to his business account and the same day to a personal account. That day he emailed the bank about the yacht refinancing, stating he could provide statements showing balances of $70,000 and $100,000. In August 2024 he submitted false asset information to the bank.
Appel also allegedly prepared and signed false campaign finance reports to the Maryland Board of Elections in 2024, 2025 and 2026 that inflated Politician 1’s account balances. In 2026 he misrepresented the community organization’s assets to its board members.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the charges with FBI Baltimore Field Office Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. Hayes thanked the Maryland State Prosecutor’s Office for assistance and noted Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Wenner and Ari D. Evans are prosecuting the case.
Delegate Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore County, confirmed she is one of the victims and released a statement. “Today’s indictment confirms what many of us suspected. As a trusted professional, political, and commercial treasurer, James Appel exploited that trust and stole from the very people he was hired to serve. It’s a betrayal beyond words,” Szeliga said.
She continued, “I am one of the victims in this case. Like others, I relied on him to handle campaign finances honestly and transparently. Instead, he allegedly diverted and embezzled funds that were contributed in good faith by hardworking Marylanders, who are also victims of his alleged crimes.”
Szeliga added, “I am grateful to the hard-working federal agents, the FBI, and the federal prosecutors for their thorough investigation and for bringing these charges forward. Accountability matters. The integrity of our elections and campaign finance system matters. No one is above the law. And when trust and the law are broken at this level, it must be met with swift consequences. James Appel should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, his assets should be seized to repay victims, and he should face serious jail time for this blatant abuse of trust and alleged criminal activities.”
Appel has served as treasurer for dozens of Maryland Republican campaign committees and candidates, including Szeliga, and as treasurer and tournament director for the Anne Arundel County Tennis Association. He operates an Annapolis-based advisory firm focused on GOP compliance.
The case highlights concerns over campaign finance oversight and the responsibilities of political treasurers in Maryland. Southern Maryland residents, who participate in statewide elections and support candidates from neighboring counties, have an interest in the integrity of the political process that affects state legislation on issues such as taxes, education and environmental protection along the Chesapeake Bay.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. No trial date has been set.
