MARYLAND NEWS

On July 3 the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a contract for almost $20 million to upgrade Maryland’s EBT (electronic benefits transfer)  system, which delivers benefits to Marylanders eligible for the Temporary Cash Assistance Program, the Temporary Disability Assistance Program and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).Source Baltimore Sun via msn.com

 

Source: WMAR2news.com and Maryland Attorney General’s Office

According to the DOJ, a federal grand jury in Maryland returned an indictment charged Amin Timovich Stigal (Амин Тимович Стигал), 22, a Russian citizen, with conspiracy to hack into and destroy computer systems and data. Source: WJZ-TV via msn.com, FBI wanted poster, DOJ press release.

Defendant Used Taxpayer Funds to Travel Internationally, Stay at Luxury Resorts, including the Four Seasons Hotel, Purchase Property and Open a Beachfront Restaurant in Egypt.

According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, he and his co-conspirators prepared false and fraudulent PPP loan and EIDL applications for a number of borrowers in exchange for a kickback, typically ranging from 20 percent to 30 percent of the loan amount.  The fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications prepared by Sary, and his co-conspirators grossly inflated the purported businesses’ number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue numbers, including for businesses that didn’t exist in any legitimate capacity. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

The company illegally commingled commercial with residential garbage to avoid tipping fees, the IG said. Source: Baltimore Brew and Baltimore County IG report.

The charges allege that from 2020 through at least October 2023, the former Councilman embezzled $124,450 from the Friends of Mel Franklin campaign account by electronically transferring funds or writing checks to his personal bank account. According to the charges, Franklin used the funds from the campaign account to pay for, among other things, personal loans and credit card debt, his personal rent, personal subscriptions, and cosmetic procedures for him and a close friend. Source: Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor

Ohio-based nursing home chain CommuniCare Family of Companies will pay $400,000 and one of their  Maryland nursing homes will be subject to independent oversight for three years. This arrangement, the result of an extensive investigation by the Office of Attorney General,  addresses allegations that the company violated the Maryland False Health Claims Act by providing substandard care to hundreds of residents at the Ellicott City Healthcare Center, a nursing home in Ellicott City, Maryland. Source: Maryland Attorney General

The CEO ultimately admitted to embezzling $2.5 million from the trade associations and nonprofits that used the Hauck & Associates management firm his father founded in Bethesda. Source: WashingtonPost via msn.com

At the May Senate hearing on Zelle fraud, consumers including a Maryland resident shared somewhat similar stories of falling victim to an imposter scam, immediately calling their bank to report it and being told their case wasn't really fraud. Source: AmericanBanker.com

To kick off PROTECT Week, which stands for Protecting Older Americans from Financial Exploitation, A Montgomery County woman shared her own experience. Source: wbal.com