SEVENTH EX-STATE EMPLOYEE CONVICTED IN CURRAN’S CONTINUING CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Lucinda Nasario-Easley, 29, of Cable Hollow Way in Largo, Md. has been convicted of Bribery and Felony Theft in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County.

Mrs. Nasario-Easley, a former employee of the Upper Marlboro State Highway Administration maintenance facility, pled guilty before the Honorable Judge Michael Whalen to accepting bribes from Stone Cold Chemical Inc. in return for ordering grossly overpriced janitorial and cleaning supplies from them on her State credit card. In return for her orders, she was sent bribes in the form of gift certificates from ToysRUs, BabiesRUs, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Six Flags Amusement Parks, Sears and Circuit City. Her scheme ran from July 2001 to September 2002. During that time period, she ordered $17,626 worth of items from Stone Cold in return for 15 separate bribes, all of which were sent to her home as per her instructions. One example of Stone Cold’s over pricing involves a bottle of window cleaner, for which Nasario-Easley spent $21 when the identical product can be purchased retail for less than $3.

Mrs. Nasario-Easley also admitted to stealing more than $13,000 worth of automobile tires and parts, and three HP ink cartridges, from the maintenance facility where she worked. Using her State credit card, she ordered these items for herself, her husband and her friends.

Stone Cold, a Florida cleaning supply company, as well as its owners and salespeople have been successfully prosecuted in Georgia and Florida State Courts for bribing State employees, and the company has lost its privileges to do business in Maryland by virtue of Attorney General Curran’s Antitrust Division’s petition to the Board of Public Works.
To date, Attorney General Curran has charged and convicted seven former State employees with corruption in connection with his ongoing criminal investigation into Stone Cold’s business practices.

Nasario-Easley’s sentencing is scheduled for August 11, 2005. The maximum for Bribery is two to 12 years incarceration, and for felony theft, 15 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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