A home contractor accused of lying under oath in the public corruption case against former state Sen. Thomas Bromwell pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
James B. Digman Sr., 62, of Forest Hill, who was president of Regional Air Systems, a Maryland sheet metal company, admitted to lying before a federal grand jury.
Digman?s company installed ductwork in buildings for heating and air conditioning at the direction of Poole and Kent, a Maryland mechanical contracting company, the president of which already has pleaded guilty in the Bromwell case.
On April 12, 2005, Digman testified in front of the grand jury that work he performed on Bromwell?s house was billed directly to Bromwell and not to Poole and Kent ? testimony that concealed the involvement between Bromwell and W. David Stoffregen, 53, who was president of Poole and Kent Co.
Digman knew he billed Poole and Kent for the work performed on Bromwell?s house in June 2001 and that more than a year later, he backdated an invoice for the work to Bromwell, prosecutors say.
Once one of most powerful Maryland lawmakers, Bromwell, a Baltimore County Democrat, served in the state?s General Assembly for 23 years.
While in office, prosecutors claim, Stoffregen?s companies gave the Bromwells more than $85,000 in construction work on a new house and $192,000 for a no-show job given to Bromwell?s wife, Mary Patricia Bromwell.
In exchange, Bromwell helped Stoffregen?s companies win multimillion-dollar minority contracts, according to prosecutors.
The Bromwells have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for a March 5 trial.
A total of seven others, including Stoffregen, have pleaded guilty in connection to the case.
In pleading guilty, Digman now faces a maximum of five years in prison. He also agreed to testify against Bromwell in the upcoming trial.
“I anticipate Mr. Digman will be called to testify,” said Roger Harris, Digman?s attorney.
