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Maryland Chapter 21 of Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

MARYLAND NEWS

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  • 17 Jun 2025 9:22 AM | Anonymous

    One target of a fraud shared her story Monday as part of AARP Maryland’s annual week of free workshops, webinars and other activities to combat financial exploitation against older Americans. The initiative coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Saturday.Source: Maryland Matters via Yahoo News

  • 16 Jun 2025 11:29 PM | Anonymous

    Source Baltimore Sun


  • 12 Jun 2025 11:32 PM | Anonymous

    Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth more than $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

    Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pled guilty to bribery of a public official; Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

    In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

    Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

    During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.

    In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.


  • 10 Jun 2025 11:46 PM | Anonymous

    A former campaign aide to Congressman Johnny Olszewski Jr. acknowledged that the trips involved his campaign. Source: BaltimoreBanner.com


  • 09 Jun 2025 11:59 PM | Anonymous

    The fight continues to fund additional resources for Baltimore City’s watchdog, while funding for other staff members in agencies within City Hall appears to be flowing. Source: WBFF Baltimore via msn.com

     



  • 09 Jun 2025 11:04 PM | Anonymous

    The Baltimore County office that’s supposed to root out government waste, fraud and abuse once again finds itself facing questions about its political independence. That’s leading some to call for reform. Source: Baltimore Sun


  • 08 Jun 2025 11:21 PM | Anonymous

    This year, Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming is asking for one new investigator, a $113,000 request in an overall $4.78 billion city budget. Mayor Brandon M. Scott rejected her request ... Source: Baltimore Sun.com


  • 06 Jun 2025 11:27 PM | Anonymous

    The panel will review and recommend an inspector general to County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, setting the stage for a potential confirmation battle in the County Council. Source: Baltimore Brew


  • 03 Jun 2025 11:57 PM | Anonymous
    Online social media accounts allegedly linking squatters to homes they do not have the authority to occupy are central to a dispute between a Baltimore County property owner, who is under contract to sell his house, and a family of four that abruptly began living in the home without permission. WJLA.com



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