Mark Sykes pleads guilty to bribing Maryland official for COVID contracts

Mark Anthony Sykes, a 51-year-old man from Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to bribing a public employee to secure state contracts for his company, Building Enterprises LLC. Between July 2020 and March 2021, Sykes paid approximately $20,000 in bribes to the former Director of General Services for the Maryland Department of Labor, resulting in his company receiving over $174,000 for cleaning services at COVID-related facilities. The scheme was characterized as fraudulent and aimed at steering state contracts toward Sykes' business. Sykes is scheduled for sentencing on April 29, 2025, and the investigation into the matter remains ongoing. No charges have been filed against the former state official involved in the bribery. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the guilty plea, highlighting the efforts of his team in prosecuting the case.