BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has announced that a former state employee and a government contractor have pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to felony procurement fraud charges stemming from a scheme to rig public contracts at correctional facilities.
Martin K. Obi, a former employee of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), and Joseph Chimah, owner of First Potomac Environmental Corporation, each entered guilty pleas related to contracts awarded to Chimah’s company for cleaning, maintenance, and repair work at state prisons. Obi also pleaded guilty to two counts of income tax fraud.
“Marylanders deserve to know their tax dollars are being spent honestly and efficiently, not used to line the pockets of corrupt state employees and government contractors,” Attorney General Brown said in a statement. “These guilty pleas send a clear message that our Office will prosecute anyone who exploits government positions for personal gain.”…