MARYLAND NEWS

A building inspector reported a cash bribe, and his boss told him to keep it “because it was under an allowable dollar limit,” Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming finds. Source: Baltimore Brew

A former leader of the nonprofit Strong City Baltimore has been federally indicted on wire fraud and money laundering charges, with federal prosecutors accusing the leader of fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds. Source: Baltimore Sun via MSN.com

A federal jury in Maryland convicted a physician of Arnold, Maryland, for five counts of healthcare fraud for submitting over $15 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other insurers for patients who received COVID-19 tests at sites operated by the defendant.  He is the first doctor convicted at trial by the Justice Department for health care fraud in billing for office visits in connection with patients seeking COVID-19 tests. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

Home Depot stores in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey were involved. Source: Boston.com

The owner of a New Jersey-based scrap metal company told a customer that dirt and debris found packed into a container shipped to Korea that was supposed to hold aluminum scrap was a mistake, authorities said…Turns out it wasn’t. The man admitted in federal court in Camden, NJ, this week that he scammed a dozen or so businesses out of more than $2 million, authorities said on Thursday, Aug. 3. Source: Daily Voice, Montgomery County, MD, via MSN.

Source: Maryland State Prosecutor and Baltimore Brew

Almost 3,900 current and former employees of the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will be paid more than $13 million …The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division…determined that the state engaged in wage theft. Source: Maryland Matters Details regarding the $13 million decision of the Maryland Board of Public Works are available at the Board's web site.

The AG's office announced that his Consumer Protection Division (CPD) has reached a settlement with CarMax, Inc. over its alleged failure to disclose open safety recalls on the used vehicles it offered and sold. The CPD alleged that CarMax’s failure to disclose the recall status was an unfair and deceptive trade practice in violation of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. Source: Maryland Attorney General

a Carroll County resident walked into the Maryland State Police Westminster Barrack to report himself as a victim of a phone scam. The resident told police that two days ago he received a call from someone claiming to be a representative of Walmart. The caller advised the resident they could repay his debt using pre-paid gift cards.

A trooper from the Westminster Barrack on Monday accompanied the Carroll County resident to his bank and placed a hold on the checks. Meanwhile, investigators with the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division contacted the Postal Inspection Service, which intercepted the package before it was delivered. The package and checks were subsequently returned to the resident...The incident remains under investigation. Source: Maryland State Police 

Four Maryland residents were indicted for their involvement in filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic...These charges stem from fraudulent unemployment claims that were filed in the names of dozens of identity fraud victims between June and July 2020. Source: Maryland Attorney General