BALTIMORE — An ex Maryland Department of Labor employee has been indicted for accepting bribes dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.

State prosecutors say 51-year-old Ronald Van Price, of Gwynn Oak, used his former role as Acting General Services Director, to manipulate the Department of Labor's procurement process.

Specifically, Price allegedly secured $479,000 in COVID-related cleaning contracts for a pair of companies owned by Walter Poindexter (P-Dex) and Mark Sykes (Building Enterprises LLC).

In return, Price received at least $88,000 in kickbacks.

Price and Poindexter each face procurement fraud and bribery charges.

Sykes, 51, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to bribery back in April .

“This alleged scheme represents a brazen misuse of taxpayer dollars during a public health crisis

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