Maryland Business Owner Admits to Bribery in COVID-19 Related State Contract Scheme

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Baltimore County man pleads guilty to bribing labor official to secure over $174K in COVID-era cleaning contracts.

A Baltimore County businessman has admitted to bribing a former Maryland Department of Labor official to secure lucrative state contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Anthony Sykes, 51, of Randallstown, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of bribery of a public employee, concluding a state investigation into fraudulent procurement practices tied to pandemic-related services.

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Sykes operated Building Enterprises LLC, a company that received over $174,000 in state payments between July 2020 and March 2021 for facility cleaning services. The contracts were awarded through a corrupt arrangement involving payments made to the then-Director of General Services at the Department of Labor. According to prosecutors, Sykes paid approximately $20,000 in bribes to secure the work for his company.

The bribery scheme unfolded as the state rushed to respond to COVID-19, with expedited procurement processes leaving room for exploitation. Investigators determined that the payments directly influenced the awarding of contracts, undermining the integrity of state operations. The former official who received the bribes has not been publicly identified in this announcement.

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Sentencing for Sykes is scheduled for April 29, 2025, before Judge Robert E. Cahill in Baltimore County Circuit Court. The broader investigation into this matter remains active, indicating potential further developments in the case.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a press release issued by the Office of the Maryland Attorney General.

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