By Adam Pagnucco.
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, which represents employees of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, has alleged that the office has misused state funds intended for child support by directing employees to cover other tasks instead. The union has declared its intention to oust Sheriff Max Uy from office and has endorsed his opponent, Will Milam.
I have asked the sheriff’s office for comment on MCGEO’s allegations. In the meantime, MCGEO’s press release and letter to the sheriff are reprinted below.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2025
Contact:
Lisa Titus, UFCW Local 1994 Recorder
ltitus@mcgeo.org
Gino Renne, UFCW Local 1994 President
grenne@mcgeo.org
Local 1994 MCGEO Seeks Transparency in Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Child Support Grant Investigation
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO has submitted a formal Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request to Sheriff Maxwell Uy following reports that the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is under investigation by the Maryland Child Support Administration for potential violations of a state funding agreement.
The inquiry centers on the Sheriff’s Office’s handling of the Cooperative Reimbursement Agreement (CSA-CSR-25-043), which funds deputies assigned to the Child Support Division for enforcement and related duties. According to information brought to MCGEO’s attention, deputies funded under the child support grant were directed to perform unrelated duties—including evictions, courtroom security, and extraditions—while their time was recorded as child support enforcement work.
“These allegations raise serious concerns about the potential misuse of public funds and the integrity of a state reimbursement program,” said Gino Renne, President of UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO. “Our members were following orders. If there was a violation of the agreement, accountability must rest where it belongs—at the top, not with the employees who were simply doing what they were told.”
In its MPIA request, Local 1994 seeks copies of all correspondence, reports, and communications between the Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland Child Support Administration regarding the ongoing investigation, as well as payroll and duty assignment records for deputies assigned to the Child Support Division from June 2024 to the present day.
The union’s letter also asks Sheriff Uy to clarify what steps his office will take to protect employees from potential disciplinary action tied to administrative decisions outside their control.
MCGEO emphasized that its goal is transparency and accountability, not speculation. “The public deserves to know whether funds meant to support families and children were misused,” said Renne. “And our members deserve to be treated fairly and shielded from blame for management’s missteps.”
The union has requested that all responsive records be provided electronically and that the Sheriff’s Office preserve any relevant body camera footage from deputies assigned to the Child Support Division between July 2024 to present day.
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MCGEO’s full letter to Sheriff Uy appears below.
