MARYLAND NEWS

According to his plea agreement, beginning in about March 2020, the influencer submitted EIDL and PPP application on behalf of four Maryland entities that he controlled, often creating fraudulent and fabricated documents, such as tax forms and bank statements, to be used in the applications.  In addition, he used the identifying information belonging to a tax preparer that he knew, without that person’s knowledge or agreement, to legitimize the fabricated tax forms he created and submitted. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

A federal judge acquitted a Gambrills physician last week in a rare ruling that cast aside a jury’s August verdict that found the doctor guilty of multiple health care fraud counts. Source: Baltimore Sun

Defendant Stole Approximately $1 Million from the Victim and Used the Funds for His Personal Benefit; As a Result of the Fraud, Victim’s House Went Into Foreclosure. Source: US Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

Source: Baltimore Brew

The Maryland resident didn’t know the U.S. government would profit from the crime…”The U.S. tax code has long drawn a clear line: When someone takes money from a tax-deferred account, the IRS considers it a distribution. And distributions generally get taxed, regardless of what happens with the money.” Source Washington Post via MSN.com

The changes proposed by Council Chair would undermine the Inspector General's work and go against the recommendations of a blue ribbon panel, the Association of Inspectors General says. Source: Baltimore Brew

A Coalition of 20 Attorneys General Submitted Letters to Federal Agencies

Raising Concerns about National Bank’s Refusals to Cooperate with State-Level Investigations. Source Maryland Attorney General’s Office

 

The Baltimore County Inspector General sent an open request to county residents Tuesday morning asking them to help stop a proposed law that would give elected officials oversight over her investigations.  Source WBFF Fox 45 Baltimore via msn.com and Baltimore County IG Press Release

The council was instructed not to publicly release the proposed amendments, leaving even the inspector general without notice until just before Monday’s hearing…The most controversial proposal would establish an Inspector General Advisory Board that would be able to generate policies for the watchdog’s office and receive all investigative reports prior to publication. Source: WBFF, Fox45news

 

Two federal prison inmates pleaded guilty to illegally filing for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and receiving more than $2 million in total fraudulent payments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced... According to their plea agreements, during the time of the conspiracy, March 22, 2020 through at least June 2021, the two men were inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix. They, and their co-conspirators (both inmates and outside individuals), submitted fraudulent online applications for unemployment insurance benefits in Maryland and other states.  Based on the information in the fraudulent applications, the Maryland Department of Labor, which is responsible for processing applications for unemployment insurance benefits in Maryland, issued prepaid debit cards in the names of the applicants and mailed them to addresses included on the applications, which were accessible to the conspirators. Source: Maryland Daily Record and US Attorney, District of Maryland.