On February 25, 2015 Berlon pleaded guilty to one charge of wire fraud in Federal court.
[2] During his tenure he emphasized a grassroots strategy to make the Democratic Party more competitive outside of the Atlanta metro area[3] and a progressive platform including job creation, increased pay for teachers and educators, and increased funding of public schools.
[4] On May 29, 2013, the Democratic Party of Georgia released a statement saying Berlon would resign his chairmanship, after Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called for him to step down.
[5] In a subsequent statement released to the media, Berlon announced his resignation from the state party would be effective midnight on June 9, 2013.
[9][10][11] After an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Berlon pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and was sentenced on February 25, 2015, to 5 years and 3 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for stealing over $2 million from his clients.