Former Baltimore Finance Employee Sentenced to 4 Years for Bribery and Pandemic Relief Fraud

Joseph Gillespie admitted to accepting bribes and falsifying records to erase debts while also fraudulently obtaining $138,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.

• Joseph Gillespie, 35, was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for bribery and fraud schemes spanning seven years.
• As a Baltimore Department of Finance employee, Gillespie accepted bribes from property owners to erase or delay over $1.25 million in financial obligations owed to the city.
• Gillespie personally profited over $250,000 from the bribery scheme, which included falsifying records and enlisting co-conspirators, including a Department of Public Works employee.
• In 2021, Gillespie and a co-defendant fraudulently secured a $138,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan by submitting falsified payroll and tax documents.
• The case was investigated by the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, with assistance from the FBI and other agencies, highlighting efforts to combat pandemic-related fraud.

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