MD Legal Briefs June 30, 2004

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jun 30, 2004 by Staff

Shades of Mary, Betsy

Mary Pickersgill and Betsy Ross would be proud of inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Jessup, who so far this year have stitched more than 1,800 American flags, including two huge, 20-by 30 foot flags that will fly over the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The women inmates work for State Use Industries, the Division of Correction's prison industry arm. Their flags are visible from Camden Yards to the Harbor Tunnel, and from local courthouses to State Police barracks. The inmates also make smaller pennants for state agencies and uniforms for state employees.

Prison for armed robber

Antonio Gilliam, 32, of Baltimore, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to 132 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for his involvement in a string of armed commercial robberies and bank robberies in Baltimore City and Baltimore County from August 2002 through January 2003. Gilliam pleaded guilty to the crimes last May, U.S. Attorney Thomas M. DiBiagio said. In addition to imprisonment, Judge J. Frederick Motz ordered Gilliam to make restitution totaling $29,044 to three retailers who were among the victims.

Murderer found guilty

A Baltimore City jury on Monday found Robert Harris, 28, guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of Eric Elliott on July 2, 2003. In addition, Harris was found guilty of wearing/carrying a dangerous weapon openly with intent to injure. According to the Baltimore City State's Attorney's office, Harris was one of a group of men who entered the victim's apartment by kicking in the door. Elliott was stabbed four times in the back and died at the scene. Harris faces up to 33 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 8.

Execs to pay for 401(k)

The U.S. Department of Labor announced it obtained a consent judgment requiring James I. Finneran and Philip R. Wright, both former executives of now-defunct Information Systems Solution International Inc., of Silver Spring, to each pay $14,266, for a total of $28,532, to restore employee contributions that were never remitted to the company's 401(k) plan. The court order also appointed J.M. Pension Advisory Inc., of Olney, as the independent fiduciary to liquidate the 401(k) plan and distribute its assets to participants.