BALTIMORE, MD — A former employee of the Maryland Department of Labor has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for felony theft and insurance fraud. Shanell Angelia West, 46, of Essex, Maryland, was sentenced on Wednesday by Judge Robert E. Cahill, Jr. of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. West had pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges related to a theft scheme and insurance fraud, actions that took place during and after her tenure with the state agency.
According to the Maryland Attorney General’s office, West worked as a clerk at the Department of Labor for 18 months, from 2021 to 2022. During that time, she exploited her position to steal funds from the department. West altered checks payable to the state and deposited them into her personal bank accounts. After her termination in 2022, she continued to forge and deposit additional checks she had obtained during her employment.
In addition to the theft, West filed a fraudulent insurance claim in June 2023, claiming to have lost wages due to a car accident. However, by that time, she had already been terminated from her position at the Department of Labor, meaning the wages she claimed to have lost were fictitious. West was charged with theft of a value between $1,500 and $25,000, as well as insurance fraud for the false claim.
Judge Cahill sentenced West to 15 years of incarceration, suspending all but 18 months of active jail time. Upon her release, West will be placed on five years of probation.
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, who announced the sentencing, emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for such criminal acts, particularly those who violate the public’s trust. “This sentencing sends a strong message that those who exploit their positions for personal gain will be held accountable,” said Brown. “We are committed to rooting out fraud and corruption wherever it occurs.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General William Elman and Timothy Lake of the Attorney General’s Fraud and Corruption Unit. The investigation was led by Chief Investigative Auditor Harry Schulz.
Attorney General Brown also extended his thanks to State’s Attorney for Baltimore County Scott Shellenberger for his support in the prosecution of this case. The conviction serves as a reminder that both theft and fraud by public employees will be met with serious legal consequences.
West’s sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes committed and the harm caused by stealing from the public trust. As part of her sentence, she will also be required to make restitution for the stolen funds.
