A roundup of local events and announcements, compiled by Voices of Laurel staff
SUMMER 2024
Adrian Simmons Elected to City Council
On July 1st, the Laurel City Council interviewed council candidates to fill the vacant Ward 1 seat. In a 3–1 vote, Adrian Simmons was elected the new Councilman for Ward 1. He was sworn in on July 3rd.
Recognition for Mike & Mary Eileen Leszcz
During the Farmer’s Market on June 6, 2024, Mayor Keith R. Sydnor, the Laurel City Council, and the Community Redevelopment Authority held a Service Appreciation Ceremony for the honorable Michael R. and Mrs. Mary Eileen Leszcz to recognize their dedication and commitment to the community over the years. Their plaque is located at the Laurel Quill Lot.
[Source: City of Laurel]
Laurel Native Named Top Graduate at Coast Guard Academy
Madison Garrigus, a Marine and Environmental Sciences major from Laurel, was named the Distinguished Graduate of the Class of 2024. To receive this award a cadet must earn the highest miliary precedence average, which includes academic, military, and athletic components of the entire 200-week program.
Garrigus earned a 3.99 GPA and holds both the indoor facility and outdoor Academy records in the pole vault (11’ 9.75” and 11’ 8” respectively.) She served as Captain of both the indoor and outdoor Women’s Track and Field teams and is one of the fastest runners in Academy history, holding a top ten time in the 60-meter dash after a meet earlier this year.
She also won a series of academic awards, including the Class of 1931 Prize in Chemistry, awarded to the cadet who attains the overall highest cumulative grade point average in multiple chemistry courses taken during the full course of instruction.
“She always wants to do her best,” said Cmdr. Victoria Futch, Associate Dean for the School of Science, Mathematics, and the Humanities, who also served as Garrigus’ academic advisor. “She really chases excellence and does not want to leave anything on the table.”
Reflecting on her time at the Academy, Garrigus said, “Over the past four years I have seen my mindset shift from looking to others for solutions to creating solutions.”
After graduation, Ensign Garrigus will report to the CGC Venturous homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla., as she and her classmates head out to their first Coast Guard assignments this summer in the service of their country and humanity.
[Source: U.S. Coast Guard]
Shake-up at City Hall (cont’d)
Mayor Keith Sydnor has named Natalie Williams the new Director of the Department of Communications, replacing Audrey Barnes, who was fired in April. The City Council approved the hiring. Also, Jimmie Rodgers was appointed vice chair of the Environmental Affairs Committee.
[Source: City of Laurel]
15,000 Stolen Construction Tools Recovered
Howard County police have recovered approximately 15,000 stolen construction tools in what is believed to be one of the largest and most expansive theft cases in the region in recent years. The investigation is ongoing; no charges have been filed yet.
Police estimate that the total value of the stolen tools is between $3–$5 million. During the investigation, which began in late January when a tracking device in a stolen tool led officers to a storage unit in Elkridge, detectives have conducted search warrants at 12 locations—11 of which are in Howard County—from where they recovered the tools.
Detectives believe the tools were stolen from retail stores, businesses, vehicles, residential properties, and construction sites primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The stolen tools were mostly kept in storage units in Howard County and detectives believe they were sold at a variety of locations and through different means.
More than 80 victims have been identified and detectives believe there are hundreds if not thousands more. Anyone with information on this case should contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
[Source: Howard County Police]
$1.5M Wire Fraud Scheme Leads To Prison Sentence For Laurel Man
A 29-year-old Laurel man has been sentenced for his role in a wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft scheme totaling more than $1.5 million.
According to Michael Akame Ngwese Ay Makoge’s plea agreement, from March 2020 to October 2021, he and his co-conspirators impersonated victims to submit fraudulent claims for pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits in Maryland and California. As part of the scheme, Makoge and his co-conspirators obtained the birthdates, social security numbers, and other personal identifying information of numerous victims that they used on fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits.
Various financial institutions then loaded unemployment insurance benefits onto debit cards and mailed the cards to the addresses created by Makoge and his co-conspirators who used the debit cards for cash withdrawals and other purchases, court documents showed.
A search at Makoge’s residence on Feb. 16, 2021 recovered 11 unemployment insurance debit cards in the names of six victims. The investigation also revealed numerous text messages between Makoge and his co-conspirators exchanging the personal information of victims and discussing the fraud scheme, his plea agreement stated.
Makoge also made numerous ATM withdrawals using the identities of victims, personally obtaining at least $35,540 in the scheme. Additional accounts were opened using the victims’ identities, too, according to court documents.
Makoge has been sentenced to 53 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to forfeit more than $297,400 and to pay restitution of $2,094,319.
Of the 11 defendants charged in this fraud scheme, five have pleaded guilty and two have been sentenced.
[Source: Patch.com]
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