The owner of a company with ties to Baltimore mayor-designee Sheila Dixon was indicted Tuesday on charges of creating false city documents and stealing nearly $200,000 from an Atlanta firm.
A Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Mildred Boyer, 41, of Randallstown, the owner of Union Technologies, also known as Utech, Maryland State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh announced.
The 10-count indictment is the first to be handed down in the investigation of the company that has been involved in a storm of controversy over allegations of conflict of interest between Dixon and her sister?s former employer. Utech had previously employed Janice Dixon as operations manager.
Prosecutors said the ties between Sheila Dixon and Utech were raised in a series of articles in The (Baltimore) Sun.
Michael McDonough, deputy state prosecutor, would not say whether prosecutors would seek additional indictments or whether Tuesday?s announcement closes their investigation.
Sheila Dixon said in a statement that the indictment does not involve her.
“After reviewing the court papers, it appears that none of the allegations in the indictment have anything to do with the City Council or myself,” she said Tuesday afternoon.
According to the indictment, Boyer made counterfeit invoices with the intent to defraud Action Capital Corporation of Atlanta, stealing $193,736.
Boyer fabricated a false letter, written on “City of Baltimore, Office of Mayor” letterhead, which was supposedly signed by a city official and stated that her company had been awarded a Baltimore City contract, the indictment charges.
The indictment also alleges that Boyer faked invoices to the City of Baltimore with the forged signatures of city employees.
Richard Vatz, a Towson University professor of rhetoric and communication, said voters will likely want to hear more from Dixon about the case before deciding to vote for her for mayor next year.
“Until she addresses the issues of the conflicts of interest, that probably could hurt her politically,” he said. “Not being in legal trouble is not the same as being as clean as a hound?s tooth. I would advise her to call a news conference and have the media ask her tough questions about it.”
Boyer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine for the theft charge. She did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
