Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that Clarence Woods Jr., 63, of Glen Burnie, MD, was sentenced for running a Ponzi-style scheme that defrauded 13 investors of more than $380,000 and for stealing an additional $175,000 from a client’s bank account, totaling over $550,000 stolen from 16 victims.
Woods was sentenced to 18 months in jail, five years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay $573,161 in restitution, with more than 18 years of backup time if he violates probation.
Per the news release distributed on Friday, November 22: “Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the sentencing of Clarence Woods, Jr., 63, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, on two counts of felony theft scheme over $100,000 and one count of fraud in connection with the offer and sale of securities. Woods, a former financial services provider, used a Ponzi-style fraudulent investment scheme to defraud 13 investors out of over $380,000. Additionally, Woods stole over $175,000 through a separate theft scheme, where he fraudulently transferred money out of a client’s bank account and deposited it into his own personal bank account. In total, he stole over $550,000 from 16 victims.
On October 30, 2025, the Honorable Mark W. Crooks of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County sentenced Woods to serve 18 months in jail in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center. Upon his release from incarceration, Woods will be on five years of supervised probation and was also ordered to pay $573,161 in restitution to the victims. If he violates probation, he has over 18 years of potential backup time he could serve.
Woods previously entered a guilty plea in front of Judge Crooks on September 4, 2025.
In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked his Criminal Division and Securities Division, specifically Criminal Division Chief Katie Dorian, Fraud and Corruption Unit Chief Alexander Huggins, Investigative Auditor Aimie Haupt, and Assistant Attorney General Ryan Cornell, who prosecuted this case. Finally, Attorney General Brown thanked State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess for her assistance with this prosecution.”
