SEVENTH 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 Anthony Bruce of Rockville, Md. in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. The Criminal Information alleges that Bruce, 62, a former employee of the Fairland State Highway maintenance facility in Montgomery County, between January 2001 and October 2003 received bribes from Stone Cold Chemical, Inc., a janitorial and maintenance supply company from whom he ordered numerous items, using his State credit card. Bruce is also charged with procurement fraud, in that he fraudulently colluded with Stone Cold to receive personal items of value in violation of the law.

Mr. Bruce is accused of accepting thousands of dollars in gift certificates from Wal-Mart, JC Penney, ToysRUs, Sears, Bass Pro Shop, Men’s Wearhouse, Outback Steakhouse and Disney, as well as Disney toys and accessories, Hershey’s chocolates and a Fossil watch - all for the purpose of influencing him in the performance of his official procurement duties as a State employee and for neglecting and failing to perform the same.

According to court documents, Bruce is scheduled to plead guilty to the charges on May 9, 2005. The maximum penalty for Bribery is 12 years incarceration, and for procurement fraud it is five years.

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 seven 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 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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