BALTIMORE — A Glen Arm man faces federal charges for allegedly paying bribes to a former Baltimore City finance employee.
Prosecutors accuse James Carroll Erny Jr., 54, of paying Joseph Gillespie more than $10,000 in exchange for wiping out debt owed to the City.
Gillespie was already convicted and sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in the scheme back in February.
Most matters Gillespie took bribes for concerned outstanding property taxes and water bills.
Indebted properties often had liens put in place subjecting them to the City's annual tax sale, meaning owners who couldn't pay risked losing their property.
That's where Gillespie came in, typically charging 10 to 15 percent of what was owed to eliminate debt in the City's databases.
For proof, Gillespie sent photographs of receipts showing payment was received, when in fact no such thing happened.
Gillespie kept on for years, enlisting the help of others, to generate $250,000 in bribes, costing the City around $1.25 million.
If convicted, Erny could get up to 10 years behind bars.
