A federal grand jury has indicted powerful Maryland Senate committee chairman Ulysses S. Currie on charges of bribery, extortion, and mail fraud and making false statements.Currie, a Democrat from Forestville in Prince George's County, is accused of taking an off-the-book job with Shoppers Food Warehouse in exchange for using his official position to influence government business to benefit the supermarket chain. He has been under federal investigation for more than two years for working as a consultant for Shoppers without disclosing the work in financial disclosure forms.
"Government officials cross a bright line when they accept payments in return for using the authority of their office, whether they take cash in envelopes or checks labeled as consulting payments," U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in a statement Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Currie received monthly payments of up to $7,600 for a total of nearly $240,000 during the six-year scheme.
The 18-count indictment alleges that after Currie became chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in 2002, he asked to be placed on the payroll of Shoppers Food Warehouse Corp.
Two former grocery store chain executives are also charged in the scheme. They are former Shoppers President William White, 67, of Annapolis, and grocery store real estate executive Kevin Small, 55, of Lewisburg, Pa.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said Wednesday that Currie told him he will step aside as chairman.
The indictment alleges that in 2007, the 73-year-old Currie prepared a list called "Accomplishments on Behalf of Shoppers," to justify his payments and listed 12 projects he had furthered on behalf of the grocer.
As part of the conspiracy, prosecutors said Currie:
¥ Persuaded government officials to give up the right to purchase land in Chillum owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, so that the property could be bought to expand a Shoppers supermarket.
¥ Met with government officials to secure $2 million for a Baltimore supermarket to lower the costs of opening a Shoppers store.
¥ Lobbied the Prince George's County Liquor Board to allow the transfer of a liquor license from one Shoppers store to another, and then arranged for another state lawmaker to introduce legislation to approve the transfer and then voted on it.
¥ Convened meetings in his Senate office with state officials to obtain a grant of up to $3 million for road improvements for the supermarket.
¥ Used official letterhead to repeatedly lobby Maryland highway officials for traffic signals at Shoppers stores in Laurel and Baltimore County.
If convicted, Currie, White and Small face more than 80 years in prison.
In a separate criminal filing, Shoppers Food Warehouse Corp., has agreed to pay a $2.5 million penalty. The court must approve the agreement.
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