OCEAN CITY, Md. - A former Ocean City hotel manager has been sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but five suspended in a theft case involving tens of thousands of dollars stolen from La Quinta Inn and Suites.
According to Worcester County Circuit Court documents obtained by WBOC, Gabrielle Marie Goodwin, 37, was initially accused of stealing money from the Worcester County hotel between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2025.
A joint stipulations document identifies Goodwin as the general manager of the La Quinta on 32nd Street in Ocean City. Court records state she began working there in early 2024.
According to those stipulations, in one specific instance, Goodwin arranged for a hotel guest to pay her directly through Cash App at a reduced rate for a room between May 31 and Oct. 12, 2025. Those direct payments were never authorized by the hotel or its owner, according to prosecutors.
Goodwin entered an Alford plea to one count of theft scheme involving $25,000 to under $100,000 on Oct. 1, meaning she did not admit guilt or confess to a crime, but formally accepted her conviction. Judge Beau H. Oglesby accepted the plea and found her guilty.
Following that plea hearing, Oglesby ordered Goodwin held in the Worcester County Jail pending sentencing and denied a defense request for home detention.
Goodwin was sentenced on Oct. 14 to 10 years in prison, with all but five years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation. She was also ordered to pay nearly $46,874.99 in restitution.
