Marion Barry has been tracked by law enforcement for decades. But for just as long, he has slipped from the grasp of federal prosecutors.
He is most famous, or infamous, for his 1990 arrest at the Vista International Hotel, when he was captured on videotape with an ex-girlfriend and charged with smoking crack.
Barry was indicted on 14 counts of wrongdoing, including perjury, but he and his lawyers were able to spin the arrest as a case of the white establishment striking back at a black champion of the poor and oppressed. He was convicted of misdemeanor possession charges — and capitalizing on the unpopularity of the Vista raid, soon recaptured the mayor’s seat.
The Vista Hotel sting came after federal prosecutors had conducted years of investigations into the contracting practices of Barry’s administration. In 1990, John Clyburn, a city contractor who was a Barry insider, and David Rivers, a city official, were charged with bribery in a case that included FBI wiretaps in which Barry was referenced. A jury found Clyburn and Rivers not guilty.
In March 2002, Barry was arrested again, this time when U.S. Park Police claimed to have discovered traces of cocaine and marijuana in his car. Barry once again claimed that he was being framed by law enforcement.
In March 2006, he pleaded guilty to dodging his taxes. While awaiting sentencing on the charges, he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. He said he was the victim of addiction but was struggling against the disease. He was given probation. Three years later, when prosecutors tried to have him sent to prison for continuing failure to file taxes, Barry said that he was suffering from kidney disease, which kept him from meeting his obligations.
In September 2006, he was pulled over by the U.S. Secret Service after allegedly ignoring a red light. Cops would claim that they smelled liquor on his breath. He refused to provide a urine sample at police headquarters and was ticketed.
