BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A former Maryland Department of Labor official has been indicted in connection with a large-scale fraud and bribery scheme involving COVID-19 cleaning contracts, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Ronald Van Price, 51, of Gwynn Oak, faces charges of procurement fraud, bribery, and perjury for allegedly helping steer nearly $479,000 in pandemic-related cleaning contracts to favored companies while receiving bribes in return. Price previously served as the acting director of the Office of General Services at the agency.
According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Price conspired with Walter O’Riley Poindexter, 50, of Windsor Mill, and Mark Sykes, 51, of Randallstown, to manipulate the procurement process beginning in February 2020. The group allegedly directed contracts to Poindexter’s firm, P-Dex, and Sykes’ company, Building Enterprises LLC, by bypassing state bidding rules and concealing conflicts of interest.
Prosecutors say Price received at least $88,000 in bribes from Poindexter and Sykes in exchange for his assistance.
Sykes previously pleaded guilty to bribery in April 2025, admitting his role in the conspiracy.
“This alleged scheme represents a brazen misuse of taxpayer dollars during a public health crisis when Marylanders needed their government most,” Attorney General Brown said in a statement. “Our office will always hold accountable public officials who exploit their positions for personal gain.”
The cases have been filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, and arraignment dates for Price and Poindexter have not yet been set.
