BALTIMORE — An ex Maryland Department of Labor employee has been indicted for accepting bribes dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State prosecutors say 51-year-old Ronald Van Price, of Gwynn Oak, used his former role as Acting General Services Director, to manipulate the Department of Labor's procurement process.
Specifically, Price allegedly secured $479,000 in COVID-related cleaning contracts for a pair of companies owned by Walter Poindexter (P-Dex) and Mark Sykes (Building Enterprises LLC).
In return, Price received at least $88,000 in kickbacks.
Price and Poindexter each face procurement fraud and bribery charges.
Sykes, 51, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to bribery back in April.
“This alleged scheme represents a brazen misuse of taxpayer dollars during a public health crisis when Marylanders needed their government most,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “Our Office will always hold accountable public officials who exploit their positions for personal gain and undermine the integrity of state service."
