FORMER STATE EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING BRIBES

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that a Criminal Information has been filed against Vivian McLean Odom in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. The Criminal Information alleges that Ms. McLean, a former employee of the Division of Corrections (Baltimore Pre-Release Unit), between October, 2002 and February, 2003 received bribes from Stone Cold Chemical, Incorporated, a janitorial and maintenance supply company from whom she ordered numerous items, using her State credit card.

Ms. Odom is accused of accepting various pieces of fishing gear and equipment valued at over $300, for the purpose of influencing her in the performance of her official duties as a State employee and for neglecting and failing to perform the same. The Attorney General’s Office investigation is continuing, and more charges are expected.

Stone Cold’s owners and salespeople have been successfully prosecuted in Georgia and Florida State Courts for bribing State employees.

A criminal information is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and every individual is presumed innocent until the charges are proven by the State. This particular matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office Criminal Investigation Division by the Internal Investigation Unit of the Division of Correction, and was investigated by CID with the assistance of the Maryland State Police.

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