Brian E. Frosh Media Contacts: Attorney General [email protected] 410-576-7009

Former DJS Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft, Bribery, and Conspiracy BALTIMORE, MD (December 16, 2020) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that James Schoo, a former Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) employee pleaded guilty to charges of theft, bribery, and conspiracy to commit procurement fraud. Schoo, aged 73, was an employee of the State of Maryland, serving as the Director of General Services for DJS.

From 2011 through 2017, Schoo’s official duties included, among other things: selecting vendors to submit bids for maintenance work valued at less than $15,000 at DJS facilities; approving requisitions for maintenance work on behalf of DJS for purchase orders valued at less than $15,000.00; and, approving invoices submitted after vendors completed maintenance work at DJS facilities.

The State’s investigation revealed that from as early as September, 2013 and continuing through at least May, 2016, a contractor named Andrew Seabolt, provided Schoo with a stream of benefits in exchange for the award of purchase orders for maintenance work at DJS facilities. From on or about July 31, 2013 through on or about August 25, 2016, Seabolt & Sons, LLC was awarded approximately 128 sub-$15,000.00 contracts to perform maintenance work at DJS facilities. The State of Maryland paid Seabolt & Sons, LLC approximately $1.2 million under these purchase orders. The benefits Seabolt provided to Schoo included the installation of a concrete driveway at Schoo’s personal residence; carpet installation at Schoo’s home, at a rental property, and at the home of Schoo’s daughter; and the purchase of wood cabinets that were installed in Schoo’s kitchen. Schoo made no payments for the materials and work.

Schoo also solicited fake proposals from an employee of a vendor. The employee provided benefits to Schoo including a golf outing and a trip to New York City. In turn, when the employee’s husband was unemployed, Schoo directed monies to the husband, at first fraudulently presenting the husband as a contractor, and then actually hiring the husband as a DJS employee, despite his lack of qualifications. Schoo made payment to the husband via a State check made out to a nonexistent company. The nonexistent company later became a source for false proposals used as losing submissions in other procurements; ultimately, 23 requisitions were approved by Schoo in which Seabolt & Sons was awarded the work, and the fake company was inserted as the losing bidder. Additionally, investigation revealed that Schoo used a State purchasing card to purchase nearly $7,000 worth of materials for his own benefit.

www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov Pursuant to a plea agreement, Schoo pleaded guilty to one count of theft greater than $1500 and less than $25,000, five counts of bribery, and one count of conspiracy to commit procurement fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2021.

The AG thanks the Office of Legislative Audits for their thorough work and their referral to the Criminal Division.