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James DiPino, 62, and Paul DiPino, Jr., 56, were sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but one year and one day suspended after admitting to bribery charges in connection to their procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said that in the spring of 2020, right as the the pandemic was becoming a national concern, James DiPino was working for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, where he was in a position to choose vendors from which PPE would be purchased by the agency.
In April 2020, he initiated 11 purchased from AB Medical, LLC, which was secretly associated with his brother.
According to prosecutors, DiPino favored AB Medical over other vendors, including multiple occasions when he declined offers from other companies to purchase from the former for inflated prices, including one instance when he had been directed by corrections officials to hold off on a buy, which he disregarded.
During the course of the conspiracy, DiPino expedited payments to AB Medical, despite the fact that the state had 30 days to make a payment.
AB Medical received its final payment from the State of Maryland on Aug. 25, 2020, and days later, the company transferred $3 million to James DiPino through a pair of shell companies that the brothers controlled. That kickback was then used to fund a personal investment account and to purchase a Four Winns FSA H350 boat for more than a quarter-million dollars.
"At the height of the pandemic, when many Marylanders struggled to stay afloat, the DiPino brothers selfishly redirected funds away from the state for their own financial gain," Brown said. "My office and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who attempt to defraud state government of its resources.
In addition to their prison terms, both were sentenced to three years of supervised probation upon their release from prison, and more than $2.5 million in assets were seized from the brothers, including a luxury boat. The older DiPion was ordered by a judge to pay an additional $1,239,242.07 in restitution, and their company, AB Medical, was issued a $10,000 fine and ordered to pay back $3 million.
"This case demonstrates the determination of law enforcement agencies and other partners working together to protect the interest of the public," Maryland State Police Col. Roland Butler, Jr. added. "The success of this investigation, which ultimately led to prosecution, reaffirms our commitment to effectively dismantle fraudulent operations."
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