SIXTH EX-STATE EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH ACCEPTING BRIBES IN CURRAN’S CONTINUING CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that a Criminal Information has been filed against Lori Hare of Grantsville, Md. in the Circuit Court for Garrett County. The Criminal Information alleges that Ms. Hare, 34, a former employee of the Accident, Maryland State Highway Administration maintenance facility, between January 2001 and November, 2002 received bribes from Stone Cold Chemical, Inc., a janitorial and maintenance supply company from whom she ordered numerous items, using her State credit card.

Ms. Hare is accused of accepting hundreds of dollars in gift certificates from Wal-Mart and Lowe’s for the purpose of influencing her in the performance of her official procurement duties as a State employee and for neglecting and failing to perform the same.

Stone Cold’s owners and salespeople have been successfully prosecuted in Georgia and Florida State Courts for bribing State employees. To date, Attorney General Curran has charged six former State employees with corruption in connection with his ongoing criminal investigation into Stone Cold Chemical.

A criminal information is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and every individual is presumed innocent until the charges are proven by the State. The maximum penalty for Bribery is 12 years incarceration. The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office by the Legislative Auditor, and was investigated by the AG’s Criminal Investigations Division and the Maryland State Police.

 

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