A SECOND STATE EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING BRIBES

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that a Criminal Information has been filed against Chrissy Martin in the Circuit Court for Howard County. The Criminal Information alleges that Ms. Martin, while employed by the Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration, Dayton facility, unlawfully received bribes between January 2002 and February 2003 from Stone Cold Chemical Inc.

According to the Criminal Information, Chrissy Martin received hundreds of dollars of gift certificates from National Ropers Supply, Outback Steakhouse, Victoria’s Secret, Dinner Guest, and the Turf Valley Day Spa, 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.

This is the second individual to be charged in this Maryland investigation; yesterday a former employee of the Department of Corrections was similarly charged in Baltimore City. 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 Office of Legislative Audits and was investigated by CID with the assistance of the Maryland State Police.

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