Baltimore Businessman Lance Lucas Pleads Guilty To Bribing Former Del. Cheryl Glenn
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore businessman and former president of Maryland's Black Chamber of Commerce Lance Lucas pleaded guilty Monday to crimes related to bribing a former Maryland delegate.
Lucas, 44, paid more than $42,500 in bribes to Del. Cheryl Glenn in exchange for her official actions benefitting Lucas' companies, officials said.
"Lance Lucas paid $42,500 to former Maryland Delegate Cheryl Glenn in exchange for official actions, to give his businesses an advantage," said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. "Legislative decisions should be made in the best interests of the public, not in exchange for bribes. The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who betray the public trust for their own greed."
Lucas worked at a company that developed the Cyber Warrior Diversity Program to sell to institutions that offered education and training to anyone interested in working in cybersecurity and formed a nonprofit that gave community Internet networks and computer instruction to children and adults.
Lucas also partnered with people who were involved in businesses that distributed and grew medical marijuana.
Until she resigned in December 2019, Glenn was a Maryland state delegate representing District 45, which covered parts of Baltimore.
According to the plea agreement, from May 22, 2018, to July 30, 2019, Lucas paid Glenn $42,500 in bribes for Glenn to introduce legislation that included a provision requiring the award of contracts under the Cyber Warrior Diversity program for certain businesses.
Lucas also paid bribes to Glenn to help a company he was working with involving medical marijuana to get final approval for a medical marijuana dispensary license- as well as bribes for his third company he was involved with to get approval for a medical marijuana growing license and that it was selected during a "double-blind" review process.
He admitted he made checks out to Glenn personally, not her campaign committee, and that he gave her cash payments too.
He said money was not an issue that he would not leave anything to chance, and assured Glenn they wouldn't be caught- and said "I'm from Baltimore for real, for real Baltimore...this is the least illegal thing I've ever done. This is like patty-cake compared to the [expletive] in Baltimore City."
Lucas faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for honest services wire fraud and five years in federal prison for the Travel Act charge.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 10 at 9:30 a.m.
