Baltimore County Man Admits Stealing Funds Intended For Key Bridge Workers

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A Windsor Mill man pleaded guilty this week to multiple charges stemming from several schemes to fraudulently obtain state contracts and public funds, including money intended to help workers affected by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Walter O'Riley Poindexter, 51, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to charges including bribery, procurement fraud and theft, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced on Friday. Prosecutors said Poindexter stole $417,451 and attempted to obtain another $92,672 through schemes spanning from 2020 to 2024.

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In one case, Poindexter admitted conspiring with Ronald Van Price, then-director of the Maryland Department of Labor's Office of General Services, to steer more than $304,000 in COVID-related cleaning contracts to Poindexter's company, P-Dex LLC.

Prosecutors said the pair manipulated the procurement process and concealed conflicts of interest, with Poindexter paying Price at least $88,000 in bribes in exchange for his assistance.

Price was indicted in October 2025 and is scheduled for trial Dec. 7.

Poindexter also pleaded guilty to stealing $97,500 and attempting to steal another $82,500 from the Port of Baltimore Worker Retention Program. The program was created to help workers affected by reduced port activity following the Key Bridge collapse in March 2024.

According to prosecutors, Poindexter submitted fraudulent applications for Street Genius LLC and P-Dex LLC, claiming the businesses employed workers affected by the port slowdown. Neither company had ties to the port, and they did not employ the workers listed on the applications, authorities said.

Poindexter also admitted to fraudulently collecting $15,112 in unemployment benefits in 2021 and attempting to obtain a fraudulent $10,172 Maryland income tax refund in 2023.

Poindexter is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29, 2027, in Baltimore County Circuit Court.