Former Maryland Senator Thomas Bromwell Sentenced

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today that former Maryland Senator Thomas Bromwell has been sentenced to seven years in prison with an additional three-year sentence of supervised release for racketeering. Bromwell's wife, Mary Patricia Bromwell has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for mail fraud.

Thomas Bromwell used his political office to give business to the Poole and Kent Corporation (P&K), owned by David Stroffregen. In exchange for the contracts for P&K, Bromwell was paid in construction work on his private residence and received free materials and labor for his private construction company. Mary Bromwell was given a position at P&K with a salary of nearly $200,000 for which she did not have to perform any duties or even show up at P&K.

Bromwell helped P&K win a contract for a University of Maryland building in which the bid offered by P&K was $1.8 million more than the lowest bidder. Bromwell also used his office to make sure that P&K was paid quickly for work the company performed on another state-funded building project. Additionally, when P&K was involved in contract disputes in both the U of M and the Juvenile Justice Center building projects, Bromwell intervened to settle the disputes in P&K's favor.

In order to disguise the Senator and his wife's involvement in P&K, a front company was used. Namco Services Corporation was started not only to obscure both Bromwells' connection to P&K, but Namco was a "minority-owned" business and therefore received special consideration for certain contracts in the state. Both Bromwell received payments, in the form of salary and otherwise, from Namco.

Thomas Bromwell also admitted that his tax returns for the tax years 2000 and 2001 were incomplete as he did claim all of his income. He has also made false statements to investigators.

In addition to the prison sentences handed down to both Bromwells, the couple will also forfeit their Baltimore County home and bank accounts, totaling more than $2 million between the property and cash.

Stroffregen has pleaded guilty on racketeering, mail fraud and false tax return charges as well. He is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

Six other individuals are also being charged for their part in this racketeering conspiracy. James Eick pleaded guilty to mail fraud and is due to be sentenced the same day as Stroffregen. Jeanie Ashfield-Testa is guilty of filing false expense reports as P&K's office manager and then hiding that fact during grand jury testimony and an FBI interview. Geraldine Forti and Michael Forti pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns, and Michael is also guilty of mail fraud. James Digman and David Jackman each pleaded guilty to making false statements to investigators.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation