Last of Six Co-Conspirators Convicted of
Stealing Over $33,000 from State Agency

BALTIMORE, MD (August 7, 2007) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced the conviction and sentencing of James Ronald Barnes, Jr., 48, of Baltimore, for his role in a scheme to steal over $33,000 from the State of Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). Barnes, the last of six co-defendants to be convicted in Baltimore City Circuit Court, was a close friend of former DBED employee Denise Rosado, the scheme’s ringleader. After Barnes pled guilty to felony theft by scheme, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John M. Judge Glynn sentenced him to a three year suspended sentence, two years supervised probation, and substance abuse evaluation and treatment.

The State investigation revealed that while Denise Rosado was employed at DBED, she created fictitious invoices in the names of non-existent vendors, causing the agency to issue 17 checks in payment for services never rendered. James Barnes received four of the checks, totaling $7,292.00. Rosado’s other co-defendants were members of her family. Like Barnes, they received DBED checks for services never rendered and shared the stolen money with Rosado.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Office with the assistance of the State Department of Business and Economic Development and the Maryland State Police. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Gansler thanked Assistant Attorney General Kate O’Donnell for her work on the case.