Maryland Sen. Nathaniel T. Oaks, a veteran of Baltimore City politics since the 1980’s was charged in federal court today with honest services wire fraud, for allegedly accepting illegal payments in exchange for using his official position to benefit an individual (who was actually an FBI operative) on a business deal, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In this Feb. 6, 2009 photo, Maryland Del. Nathaniel T. Oaks, , Democrat, District 41, Baltimore City, glances toward fellow delegates as he questions then Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon during a hearing in the House of Delegates, Baltimore Delegation, in Annapolis, Md. Oaks, who used the word “lollipop” as a code word for every $1,000 he expected to be paid has been charged with accepting illegal payments in exchange for using his position to facilitate business deals, the U.S attorney’s office announced Friday, April 7, 2017. (Glenn Fawcett /The Baltimore Sun via AP)
Oaks, 70, who was recently appointed to the Maryland Senate in February representing the 41st Legislative District of West Baltimore, replaced former Senator Lisa Gladden, who stepped down for health reasons. Oaks had previously served in the House of Delegates since 1983, also representing the 41st District.
Oaks first appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark J. Coulson in U.S. District Court in Baltimore Friday (April 7) afternoon. According to the affidavit, an individual cooperating with the FBI, introduced Oaks to an FBI operative posing as an out of town business person interested in obtaining contracts, through an actual minority owned business in Baltimore City, on September 21, 2015. The business owner is another defendant who is cooperating with the FBI in the investigation that led to Oaks being charged, according to the U.S. Attorney. The initial meeting took place at a restaurant in Pikesville, in Baltimore County.
According to the U.S. Attorney, in the months after the first meeting, Oaks was recorded during several telephone and in-person conversations discussing numerous business opportunities in Maryland. According to the affidavit one of the opportunities involved a project with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be developed in Baltimore. According to the U.S. Attorney, the FBI operative offered to pay Oaks for his assistance on the project on March 16, 2016 and in the Spring and Summer of 2016, Oaks sent two letters on his official letterhead from the House of Delegates in support of the HUD project. Oaks was subsequently paid $10,300 by the FBI operative for his assistance. In addition, Oaks was paid $5,000 more on September 22, 2016 in exchange for Oaks filing a bond bill with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, requesting $250,000 for the HUD project.
Oaks has served two terms in the House of Delegates after his election in 1983, when in 1989 he was convicted of stealing more than $10,000 from his re-election fund, perjury and misconduct in office. He was given a five year suspended sentence and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service. Oaks was nevertheless re-elected to the House of Delegates in 1994.
If convicted of the current charge of honest wire fraud, Oaks faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
