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Bromwell pleads guilty to racketeering
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Former state Sen. Thomas Bromwell Sr. leaves the U.S. Courthouse District of Maryland in Baltimore on Tuesday after pleading guilty to federal racketeering and conspiracy charges.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Former state senator Thomas Bromwell pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to charges of racketeering and filing a false tax return.
Bromwell, 58, is expected to face six to eight years in prison when U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentences him on Nov. 16.
“This was a very important case for our office and a very important case for the citizens of Maryland,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein. “Mr. Bromwell and his wife have been held accountable for engaging in a pattern of corruption and fraud that extended over seven years. This was not a mistake. This was not a technical violation. This was not a gray area. These were serious crimes of corruption, crimes that deserve to be prosecuted, crimes that people deserve to go to prison for.”
Bromwell’s wife, Mary Patricia, pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud. Sentencing guidelines call for her to serve two to three years.
Motz said Mary Patricia Bromwell was a “minimal participant” in the scheme, but said he would take the sentencing guidelines “very seriously.”
Once a powerful Baltimore County Democrat, Bromwell served in the General Assembly for 23 years. He and his wife were indicted in October 2005 in connection with their dealings with W. David Stoffregen, the former president of Poole and Kent, a mechanical-contracting firm.
Prosecutors say the Bromwells received more than $85,000 in construction work on their house and $192,000 for a no-show job taken by Mary Patricia Bromwell at a company operated by Poole and Kent. In exchange, Bromwell helped Stoffregen’s companies win multimillion-dollar minority contracts, prosecutors allege.
Stoffregen pleaded guilty in November. A total of nine people have pleaded guilty in connection to the case.
Thomas Bromwell’s attorney, Barry Pollack, said the Bromwells were happy to end this chapter of their lives.
“Mr. Bromwell has given a tremendous service to the people of Maryland for 24 years," Pollack said. "These events represent a fraction of a small percentage of the time he spent in public life. We’re happy to have this part of it behind us and focus again on all the good he’s done for people of Maryland and allow the Bromwells to get on with their lives.”
Pollack disputed that Bromwell ripped off Marylanders.
“The taxpayers have gotten tremendous service from Mr. Bromwell,” he said. “The events that arise from this plea do not involve any loss to the citizens of Maryland. The contracts that were given out were given out to qualified contractors who did a good job for the people of Maryland.”
The Bromwells will forfeit up to $2 million in cash and property, including their Parkville home, though Pollack told Motz he hoped the judge would allow them keep their home by substituting cash for the equity the couple has built up in the house.
“The Bromwells would like to be able to do that if it’s possible,” Pollack said.
Special Agent-in-Charge of the Baltimore branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation William Chase said his office is continuing to investigate political corruption in Maryland. He said there would be no further investigations arising from the Bromwell case.
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:59 AM MST on Tue., Nov. 27, 2007 re: "CEO who ‘bought senator’ sentenced to 6-plus years"
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Examiner Reader said:
When I first saw the headline to this story, I thought it was referring to either Mikulski or the former Sarbanes which would not surprise me in the least.
88 agree | 83 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
I hope this is a sincere attempt to "gather information" and not another bunch of corrupt politicians looking for a bribe.
106 agree | 101 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Whsat if any restitution to the State Taxpayers did Tom Bromwell and the Mrs. have to pay. Their house should be confiscated and sold off to pay back the moneys and graft he took. Still appalled that Rupersberger and others went to bat for these crooks at the sentencing hearing.
107 agree | 113 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Whsat if any restitution to the State Taxpayers did Tom Bromwell and the Mrs. have to pay. Their house should be confiscated and sold off to pay back the moneys and graft he took. Still appalled that Rupersberger and others went to bat for these crooks at the sentencing hearing.
109 agree | 103 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
Maybe he pawned some of his gaudy jewelry or his fat political playmates loaned him some money. Surely he fits right in in Las Vegas with his jewels and big mouth. The judge might want to rethink this. He may be punishing the kids by keeping these two out of the clink for now.
88 agree | 97 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
for someone who is supposed to be broke, how did tom bromwell and his wife afford a week in las vegas last week? and who was watching the "young" children that the bromwells pleaded with to judge motz not be to be seperated from for both parents at the same time?
111 agree | 97 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
dave and tommy can be cell mates. they can do each other. for 6 long years. then they can live in a refrigerator box under the jones falls expressway. get rid of joe curran at iwif. $125,000.00 a year for just showing up.
115 agree | 101 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
My, how the tables have turned. I hope he learns some manners while in prison. A course on common decency would be a good start.
111 agree | 99 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Give the man his stuff back and take everything from Kent and Poole!
109 agree | 119 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
No one is exactly decent I have learned. Most try to do the right thing, if they know what that is. The right thing needs to be taught.
105 agree | 114 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
It takes all kinds of criminals to make Baltimore go around, whether they're rich and powerful or street thugs. When decent people stop giving a damn about people like Bromwell and Stoffregen, we'll all go down the toilet.
124 agree | 135 disagree
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Amazed with baltimore said:
Its funny reading through all the comments. You compare bromwell to saddam? WOW! With Baltimore being one of the highest rated cities for murder,gang violence, drugs, crime, ect. Let's Hang Tommy Bromwell and make baltimore a better place. haha. yeah right!
140 agree | 130 disagree
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Annoyed! said:
Is this a gossip column? How do they know what Tom Bromwell plans to do? Where do they get the stuff they write in the papers these days? Joshua Treem who was removed from the case and is not sure if Bromwell will use him as representation again. Maybe he feels neglected and wants some attention. How would he know anything if he is not in contact with Bromwell? Christ the man just got sentenced yesturday, and already he's made a call to his ex lawyer to "get his stuff back." PLEASE! They haven't even decided if they are going to allow him to stagger his sentence with his wife. He had court appointed lawyers for a reason and Mr. Treem does not work for free. blah. blah. blah.
106 agree | 98 disagree
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Earth to Tommy said:
Maybe you'll get your "stuff" back in seven years, but only after you and your wife re-pay every single cent stolen from the taxpayers of Maryland.
118 agree | 102 disagree
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The Bromwells will look good in stripes said:
Poor poor "innocent" Tommy. Have fun in jail you lying thieving crook. Your crooked wife too. What's pathetic is the defense attorney saying that Tommy's wife should get probation because of her "small role" in her lying thieving husband's escapades. Only a lawyer would consider STEALING $192,000 from Maryland taxpayers as "small" I have an idea Mr Lawyer, how about you giving up your salary for your losing role in defending them? What say you barrister? BooHoo, Mrs Tommy needs to be with her children. GREAT rolemodel eh? Justice was served. Voters, let's not forget Dutch Ruppersberger, who pleaded for the good fine law abiding Bromwells, come election time.
120 agree | 98 disagree
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Examine Her said:
3:06 knows the real bad guys, Bromwell will look better fter a rest a few breaks from jail/ Like i said a vacation. No money to take one, guess i am better of broke.
107 agree | 123 disagree
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Annoyed! said:
Stoffregen and Mike and Geri Forti are the real crooks and masterminds behind this whole thing! I'll be intrested to see what kind of time they get. If they get less then bromwell that tells you how our justice system works. The 3 of them gained more then anyone in this situation. bromwell was just a pawn, along with whatever other names come up while these jerks try and save there own a**es. If you ask me Bromwell took it like a man. He didn't try n take anyone with him. Bromwell was the "big fish" the name that would stay in newspaper headlines Im sure getting a guilty plea from him helped rosensteins chances for federal judgeship. What a crock. Murderers and rapist get less prison time.
125 agree | 123 disagree
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ask Thomas DiBiagio and Rod Rosenstein! said:
Unfortunately, Parker Chapman, Bruce Hoffman and BGE remain unnamed major criminals - W. David Stoffregen was the lesser of the very many corrupt people involved with the Poole & Kent Company.
119 agree | 112 disagree
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Examine Her said:
Someone was looking out for him. Live and learn to have good honarable employees mentors and genuine ethics.
119 agree | 118 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
Stoffregen the plumber should be put to work cleaning toilets in the clink. Justice will be served if his fellow inmates treat him as callously as he treated his employees. I pray for those whose lives he has ruined and for the company that was started by decent, hard-working people, which Stoffregen successfully brought down to his sewage level. How Parker Chapman, Stoffregen's mentor, came out of this without smelling like a cesspool is beyond me.
128 agree | 98 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
Stoffregen brought shame on a company that was started by honorable people. I'm glad they are not around to witness this disgrace. I hope Stoffregen is quaking in his toupe thinking about his upcoming sentencing.
119 agree | 109 disagree
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Examine Her said:
he will have money, security and protection,not serve all the time and have breaks. Didnt anyone teach this man anything about who to trust and why did the dems taht are so bad ass, bump off/pay off this company? he is just a bragard who got recorded saying lies to pump up his ego. They should have been thrown out.
104 agree | 103 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
he and his wife have some set of stones. after using his position to screw the taxpayers, get cought and admit it they want mercy. and their property back. the hell with them both and their family. they should pay dearly for their crimes. take it like a man tommy. in your case now doggy style.
132 agree | 102 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
Apparently the impending jail stays for him and his wife haven't humbled him or stifled his unmitigated gall in the least. Maybe once this jerk gets to jail he'll feel remorse for the misery he has brought on himself and his family.
121 agree | 111 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bromwell was convicted because he is a criminal. You lost your rights, punk. You're somebody's b!tch now.
122 agree | 111 disagree
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ENJOY JAIL CROOK said:
Tommy should have to pay back all the money he and his wife received by hook and crook, to the taxpayers of Maryland. Anyone who betrays the public trust; especially an elected official, should never see the light of day outside of a jail ever again. He should have gotten 70 years, not 7.
129 agree | 132 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Bromwells are so very fortunate that Judge Motz accepted that ridiculous plea agreement, and they are still not satisfied. They are so angry that the law finally caught up with them and so now they will be playing the "It's Not Fair" game. It will be very interesting to sit back and watch what happens. Liiving in the Republic of Maryland, I am never surprised as to the outcome of anything.
129 agree | 122 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
now poor tom wants his money back. or is it the money that he stole from the state of maryland? it is bad enough that he will keep the 400 thousand from IWIF. get him a refrigerator box tho sleep in under the JFX.
125 agree | 106 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
he was a crook and now an admitted felon. tom and his also thieveing wife should get lots of jail time. when he gets out of prison his kid or ons of his cronies will probally arrange for a state job. send tom lots of soap on a rope. he will need it.
119 agree | 144 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Live and Learn! God have mercy on all your souls!
131 agree | 129 disagree
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Boo Hoo said:
Truly disgusting that these bunch of lying pigs continue to wallow in their excrement of support. Even rats have sense to jump off a sinking ship. These arrogant blowhards are so sure of getting away with every filthy deal they do that they don't care how they appear to their constituents. Instead of condemning Bromwell's crimes, they boo hoo for him. Makes one wonder what they have to hide; they all have dirt on each other, and now Bromwell doesn't have to rat out the rest of them as was originally promised. Pee-uuu, Maryland politics stink.
132 agree | 131 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The man only got a discount on construction work and his wife a work from home job. The company that black balled him is more guilty tan Carter has liver pills, he is their scape goat. Slap Bromwell on the wrist and get rid of this peanut gallery who are just jealouse of the power. Glass houses all of you, I could find something dirty on each and everyone of you commentors who have done alot less for your communinity and constituants.
139 agree | 133 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I am willing to bet that Mr. Bromwell will either not see the walls of prison or, if he does, it will be for such a laughable minimal amount of time that he'll be out within a few short months to continue his criminal activities with his democrat buddies. Such is life in the Republic of Maryland.
144 agree | 119 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I saw his picture in the dictionary next to "Baltimoron."
141 agree | 138 disagree
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ED Appraiser said:
This jerk should not be allowed to keep the house. You just know that some of his fellow crooks will make the payments on it while he is on vacation to repay him for past favors. On top of that he most likely has some of the money he stole stashed somewhere. This guy should be broken down and dismantled just like Saddam.
165 agree | 149 disagree
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An Examiner Reader said:
The Bromwells are not entitled to retain their house. They are felons and should be treated as such. By pleading guilty to lesser charges and receiving in turn extremely light sentences they are only receiving slaps on the wrists for their crimes. The Bromwells should consider themselves lucky. If I had been the judge, I would never have accepted the plea deals.
164 agree | 125 disagree
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LDP said:
The house where he had special renovations completed with accepted money. Go live in an apartment! Living high on the hog before you got caught, now welcome back to reality! Now I question you true committment to the people, or was that fake also? Enjoy prison!!!
143 agree | 139 disagree
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