Two individuals have been sentenced in the Baltimore County Circuit Court for their involvement in a scheme aimed at directing state correctional facility contracts in Maryland in return for financial gains, according to state officials.
Anthony G. Brown revealed that Martin K. Obi, 59, a former worker at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, along with Joseph Chimah, 67, the owner of First Potomac Environmental Corporation, admitted guilt to procurement fraud related to maintenance and repair contracts at state prisons.
From 2018 to 2022, prosecutors indicated that Obi and Chimah devised a plan to funnel at least eight contracts from the department — which included projects for sidewalk repairs, duct cleaning, and painting — to Chimah’s firm. Court documents show that Chimah submitted fake bids that seemed to originate from rival contractors but were priced higher than those of First Potomac. Obi then utilized these bids to support his recommendation for awarding the contracts to First Potomac.
Authorities reported that the company received $51,224 in state payments through contracts acquired via this scheme.
In return for directing the contracts, Chimah assisted Obi in obtaining insurance payouts by providing false information to insurance companies, prosecutors stated. In at least four claims related to damage to Obi’s properties in Baltimore County, Chimah falsely claimed that First Potomac had completed and billed for repair work.
On October 31, 2025, Judge Robert E. Cahill Jr. sentenced Chimah to three years in prison, all suspended, and placed him on 18 months of probation. He was also mandated to pay a $5,000 fine and $21,774 in restitution to the state.
On February 10, 2026, Judge Jan M. Alexander sentenced Obi to 15 years in prison, all suspended, along with three years of probation. Obi also pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false state income tax returns and was ordered to settle outstanding state taxes.
Brown credited prosecutors in his office’s Criminal Division, along with the Maryland State Police and the Office of Legislative Audits, for their work on the case. Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger also assisted in the prosecution, officials said.
