BALTIMORE — A Baltimore businessman was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Thursday for federal honest services wire fraud and use of an interstate facility to carry on unlawful activity, also known as the Travel Act.
According to his plea agreement, Lance Lucas was an entrepreneur and businessman who was employed by Company 1, which developed the Cyber Warrior Diversity Program curriculum to sell to institutions offering education and training to persons interested in cybersecurity professions.
The plea states that he partnered with other individuals who were involved in businesses that distributed or grew medical marijuana. This included Company 2, which as awarded a Stage One license pre-approval for a medical marijuana dispensary license and Company 3 which applied for a medical marijuana growing license in May 2019.
As detailed in the plea agreement, from May 22, 2018 through July 30, 2019, Lucas paid Cheryl Glenn, a Maryland State Delegate $42,500, defrauding the citizens of Maryland of the right to her honest services by providing bribes in exchange for Glenn’s official actions.
"Lucas admitted that he wrote checks made out to Glenn personally, not to her campaign committee, and that he provided her with cash payments. Lucas made several statements that money was not an issue and that he would not leave anything to chance. Lucas also assured Glenn that they would not be caught and stated 'I’m from Baltimore for real, for real Baltimore . . . This is the least illegal thing I’ve ever done. This is like patty-cake compared to the [expletive] in Baltimore City.'"
“Lance Lucas paid $42,500 to former Maryland Delegate Cheryl Glenn in exchange for official actions, to give his businesses an advantage,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Legislative decisions must be made in the best interests of the public, not in exchange for bribes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who pay bribes to benefit their own interests over the public good.”
