Glen Arm Man

Glen Arm Man Given 13 Months For Yearslong Bribery Of City Official

For nearly four years, a 55-year-old Glen Arm man routinely paid off a city official to "delay, remove or extinguish" owed financial dues.

James Carroll Erny, Jr., a 55-year-old Glen Arm man, was sentenced to 13 months in prison after he bribed a former Baltimore City official for nearly four years.

In addition to the prison sentence, Erny will be on home confinement for an additional eight months. 

The sentencing comes after Erny pleaded guilty in March to not only the bribery but also obtaining $996,240 from the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-19 relief program.

Investigators determined Erny paid at least $25,000 to Joseph Gillespie, who was previously employed by the Baltimore City Department of Finance, in exchange for doing away with various fees he owed the city.

The transactions took place between December 2019 and August 2023, when Erny owned at least eight properties in Baltimore City. The funds were transferred through various means, including cash deliveries of $1,000 and electronic transfers via Cash App and Zelle.

Authorities said the yearslong scheme amounted to the city losing more than $145,000.

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