Charles D. Bolden Sr., a former employee at the Department of Public Works’ Quarantine Road Landfill, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to extortion, conspiracy and theft.

Bolden is the last of 12 defendants to be convicted of stealing salvageable metals and paying or receiving bribes by commercial trash haulers in return for not paying disposal fees at DPW’s South Baltimore landfill and Northwest Transfer Station.

The schemes cost Baltimore about $7 million in lost fees over the last decade, according to U.S. Attorney for Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

Bolden, 69, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, 20 years in prison for extortion and 10 years in prison for theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis next month.

The Brew has written extensively about the theft and extortion schemes employed by former DPW employees Tamara Washington, William C. Nemec Sr., Jarrod T. Hazelton, Latonya Drinkard and Michael T. Bennett – together with six commercial haulers who have pleaded guilty to bribery.

Nemec was sentenced to 78 months in prison, Bennett to 46 months in prison, and Hazelton to two years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Bennett and Hazelton have each been ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution.

Washington and Drinkard are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.

From The Brew Archives:

• Waived fees and thievery by DPW employees cost city $7 million (6/2/15)

• Landfill supervisor admits he accepted bribes over 31-year period (8/17/15)

• Ex-landfill employees sentenced to prison (6/16/16)