Prison For Corrupt Maryland Senator

A Maryland Democrat who wielded extraordinary political power during two decades in elected office will finally go to jail for starring in a lengthy and complex public corruption scandal.

Former Maryland State Senator Thomas Bromwell was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, this week for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as free work from a Baltimore construction company in exchange for his help securing lucrative state contracts.

A grand jury indicted Bromwell, as well as his wife, in October 2005 and the lawmaker pleaded guilty earlier this year to several of the charges. The 30-count indictment read like an embellished work of fiction, charging the once-powerful politician with extortion, wire fraud, mail fraud and making false statements to federal agents, among other things.

Bromwell’s wife, Mary Patricia, was sentenced to one year in prison for accepting a no-show job that paid her nearly $200,000. The Bromwells will also have to forfeit more than $2 million as well as their upscale Baltimore residence.