Posted on 07/20/2007 7:56:22 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BALTIMORE - Former state Sen. Thomas Bromwell, a powerful figure in Annapolis during his nearly 20 years in the legislature, has agreed to plead guilty to taking bribes from a construction company executive, his attorney said Friday.
Bromwell, 58, will plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and filing a false tax return, said attorney Barry Pollack. Sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of about 6 1/2 years to 8 years for the former Senate Finance Committee chairman, Pollack said.
"It was a very difficult decision for him, but taking into account what's best for him, what's best for his wife, what's best for his family, he believes that the best thing to do was to admit that he did make some mistakes and to put this matter to rest so that he and his family can move on with their lives."
Bromwell's wife, Mary Patricia Bromwell, will plead guilty to one count of mail fraud, Pollack said. Her attorney, William Purpura, did not immediately return a telephone call Friday. Sentencing guidelines call for her to serve between 2 1/2 years and 3 years, he said.
The Bromwells were to enter their pleas Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Pollack said he and Purpura will argue that the Bromwells deserve shorter sentences than what the guidelines call for.
"We certainly hope that the court will taken into account Mr. Bromwell's many, many years of public service and the very positive things that he has done for the people of Maryland," Pollack said.
Purpura told The Sun of Baltimore that he would argue that probation is appropriate for Mary Patricia Bromwell.
Thomas Bromwell, a Democrat, represented Baltimore County from 1983 to 2002.
He was accused of receiving more than $85,000 in construction work on a new house in 2000 and 2001 that W. David Stoffregen, who was president of Poole and Kent Co., provided for free. Stoffregen also was accused of giving Mary Patricia Bromwell more than $192,000 from 2001 to 2003 for a no-show job at Namco Services Corp.
Stoffregen was one of seven people to plead guilty as part of the case against Thomas Bromwell.
U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein did not return a call seeking comment Friday.
I’m sure this will be headline news for Couric.
The bribes were generated under the Congressional rule of the GOP and its culture of corruption.../sarc. WHY DOESN’T THE GOP PLAY THIS UP???????????????!
As formatted here, this story has eleven paragraphs. The party that the offender is a member of (Democratic) is not mentioned until paragraph eight.
Typical.
“The party that the offender is a member of (Democratic) is not mentioned until paragraph eight.
Typical.”
Typical is to not mention the Democrat Party affiliation period. I usually have to look up the perp to confirm he/she is in fact a Dem, but usually the fact they don’t mention party affiliation unless it’s a Republican tells me it is a Dem.
If this was a GOPer every Republican for the next 5 years would have to endure reports about how his candidacy is “haunted by the shadow of disgraced former congressmen Bromwell...”
But its a rat so this is the last we will ever hear of it.
AT LEAST HE ADMITTED TO THE CHARGE. How many of the guilty do?
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