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                                                                   Exhibit 10(s)

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                    EMPLOYMENT AND NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENT


         This First Amendment to Employment and Non-Competition Agreement (the
"First AMENDMENT"), made and entered into as of the 7th day of October 1998, is
by and among (i) CRIIMI MAE Management, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"COMPANY"), (ii) David B. Iannarone (the "EXECUTIVE") and (iii) CRIIMI MAE Inc.,
a Maryland corporation and the parent of the Company (the "PARENT").


                                    RECITALS

         1. On October 5, 1998, the Company and the Parent each filed a
voluntary petition seeking relief under the provisions of chapter 11, title 11
of the United States Code ("CHAPTER 11").

         2. On October 7, 1998, the Company and the Executive entered into an
Employment and Non-Competition Agreement (the "EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT").

         3. On February 23, 1999, the court, in the case captioned IN RE CRIIMI
MAE INC., ET AL., Ch. 11 Case No. 9823115 (Jointly Administered) (the
"BANKRUPTCY COURT"), entered an order, attached hereto as EXHIBIT A (the
"ORDER"), approving, among other things, (i) the Company's entry into the
Employment Agreement and (ii) the implementation of an employee retention
program with respect to certain key employees of the Company, including the
Executive, all as amended by the Order, effective NUNC PRO TUNC to October 5,
1998, upon the execution of this First Amendment by the parties hereto (the
"RETENTION PROGRAM").

         4. This First Amendment amends the Employment Agreement in accordance
with the modifications set forth in the Order.

         5. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have
the meanings ascribed to them in the Employment Agreement.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements
herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be
legally bound, agree as follows:


         1. AMENDATORY PROVISIONS. The Employment Agreement is hereby amended as
follows:

         (a) Section 3.3 to the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu thereof:


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                  3.3 DISCRETIONARY BONUS. Bonuses awarded in the sole
         discretion of the Board in 1998 shall be capped at 20% of the
         Executive's 1998 base annual salary. No other discretionary bonuses
         shall be awarded so long as the Parent remains in Chapter 11 without
         (a) written approval of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors
         of the Parent and the Official Committee of Equity Security Holders of
         the Parent or (b) by order of the Bankruptcy Court.

         (b) Section 3.5 to the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu thereof:

                  3.5      [INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]

         (c) Section 3.12 to the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu thereof:

                  3.12     REORGANIZATION BONUS.

                  3.12.1 The Company shall pay the Executive a reorganization
         bonus equal to two (2) times the Executive's then current Base Salary
         (the "REORGANIZATION BONUS"), to be paid in four (4) equal semi-annual
         installments beginning April 5, 1999, so long as the Executive remains
         employed full-time with the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the
         Executive is terminated without cause, or upon the effective date of a
         plan of reorganization of the Parent, the entire unpaid portion of the
         Reorganization Bonus shall become immediately due and payable;

                  3.12.2 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
         herein, in the event that the Parent's Chapter 11 case is converted to
         a case under chapter 7, title 11 of the United States Code ("CHAPTER
         7"), the Executive shall not be entitled to any additional
         Reorganization Bonus payments subsequent to such date; PROVIDED,
         HOWEVER, that this paragraph shall not impact the Executive's rights to
         receive severance payments as set forth in Section 6; and PROVIDED
         FURTHER, that, subject to Section 3.12.3, the Executive shall not be
         required to refund any Reorganization Bonus payments received by him
         prior to the date the Parent's Chapter 11 case is converted to a case
         under Chapter 7; and

                  3.12.3 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
         herein, the Company is specifically authorized to make semi-annual
         Reorganization Bonus payments beginning on April 5, 1999, as set forth
         in Section 3.12.1, without further order of the Bankruptcy Court;
         PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not pay the fourth and final
         installment of the Reorganization Bonus or any accelerated portion of
         the Reorganization Bonus, as the case may be, without first (x)
         applying to the Bankruptcy Court for final allowance of the
         Reorganization Bonus and (y) obtaining Bankruptcy Court approval.

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         (d) Section 6.3.1 to the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu thereof:

                  6.3.1 If the Executive's employment is terminated by the
         Company without Cause, the Executive shall be entitled to receive (x)
         severance compensation equal to what would have been his Base Salary
         under Section 3.1 for twenty-four (24) months from the date of such
         termination, payable at such times as his Base Salary would have been
         paid if his employment had not been terminated and a pro rata portion
         of the bonus applicable to the calendar year in which such termination
         occurs; (y) other benefits pursuant to Sections 3.9, 3.10, 3.12, and
         3.13, payable within ninety (90) days after the date of such
         termination accrued by him hereunder up to and including the date of
         such termination; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the payment of benefits
         pursuant to Section 3.12 shall require Bankruptcy Court approval and
         (z) benefits, if any, provided by any insurance policies in accordance
         with their terms. The vesting schedules for the rights to purchase
         Option Shares set forth in the Option Agreement shall not be affected
         by any such termination of employment without Cause.

         (e) Section 6.3 to the Employment Agreement is hereby amended to add
the following new subsection at the end thereof:

         6.3.3 In the event that the Executive is terminated by the Company
         without Cause and a Reorganization Bonus payment is owed to the
         Executive pursuant to Section 3.12, the Company shall immediately file
         a motion with the Bankruptcy Court to receive approval of the payment
         of such Reorganization Bonus payment to the Executive or, at the option
         of the Executive, such motion may be filed with the Bankruptcy Court
         directly by the Executive. The Company shall reimburse the Executive
         for any and all amounts incurred by the Executive in filing a motion to
         receive Reorganization Bonus payments with the Bankruptcy Court,
         including filing fees, reasonable attorneys' fees and all other fees
         incidental thereto.

         (f) The second sentence of Section 6.4.7 to the Employment Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu
thereof:

                  "In the event of a termination following a `change in
                  control,' the Executive shall be entitled to the payment set
                  forth in Section 6.3.1."

         (g) The third and fourth sentences of Section 6.4.7 to the Employment
Agreement are hereby deleted in their entirety.

         (h) The fifth sentence of Section 6.4.7 to the Employment Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu
thereof:

                  "In addition, all Options shall become immediately exercisable
         notwithstanding any vesting schedule that would otherwise apply."

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         (i) Section 7 of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended to add the
following new subsections at the end thereof:

                  7.5 COMPLIANCE WITH RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT. Following
         the termination of the Executive's employment, the Executive agrees
         that he shall comply with Rules 1.6 and 1.9 of the Maryland Rules of
         Professional Conduct.

                  7.6 The Executive agrees and understands that the remedy at
         law for any breach by him of the covenant set forth in Section 7.5 will
         be inadequate and that the damages that may arise from such breach are
         not readily susceptible to being measured in monetary terms.
         Accordingly, it is acknowledged that the Company, the Parent, and
         CRIIMI MAE Services L.P. (collectively, the "AFFILIATE ENTITIES"),
         shall be entitled to immediate injunctive relief and may obtain a
         temporary order restraining any threatened or further breach. Nothing
         in this Section 7 shall be deemed to limit the remedies at law or in
         equity which may be pursued or availed of by the Affiliate Entities for
         any breach of the Executive of the covenant set forth in Section 7.5.

         (j) Section 8.12 to the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety and the following shall be inserted in lieu thereof:

                  8.12 INDEMNIFICATION. The Parent shall (x) pay as an
         administrative expense all indemnification to the extent provided for
         in the Bylaws of the Parent and/or the Company up to and including
         amounts totaling a maximum of $250,000 for the Executive and all other
         covered persons, constituting the aggregate deductible under applicable
         Officer and Director insurance policies, (y) apply any available
         portion of proceeds of applicable Officer and Director insurance
         policies, up to $20 million in the aggregate for all covered persons,
         to indemnification of the Executive; and (z) pay as an administrative
         expense all uninsured indemnification arising from the post-petition
         actions of the Executive for which they are otherwise entitled to
         indemnification under the Bylaws of the Parent and/or the Company.

         2. EXISTING AGREEMENT. Except as expressly amended hereby, all of the
terms, covenants and conditions of the Employment Agreement (i) are ratified and
confirmed; (ii) shall remain unamended and not waived; and (iii) shall continue
in full force and effect.

         3. GOVERNING LAW. This First Amendment shall be governed by the
internal laws of the State of Maryland without giving effect to the principles
of conflict of laws thereof.

         4. COUNTERPARTS. This First Amendment may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which, taken
together, shall constitute one and the same instrument.

         5. ENFORCEABILITY. If any provision of this Amendment shall be held to
be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under any applicable law, then such
contravention or invalidity shall not

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invalidate the entire First Amendment or the Employment Agreement. Such
provision shall be deemed to be modified to the extent necessary to render it
legal, valid and enforceable, and if no such modification shall render it legal,
valid and enforceable, then this First Amendment and the Employment Agreement
shall be construed as if not containing the provision held to be invalid, and
the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced
accordingly.

         6. CONFLICTS. The Order shall govern in all matters of conflict between
any of the provisions of the Order and this First Amendment.

[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGES HAS INTENTIONALLY BEEN LEFT BLANK.]


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                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this First
Amendment to be executed by its duly authorized officer and the Executive has
executed this First Amendment as of the date and year first above written.


                          CRIIMI MAE MANAGEMENT, INC.,
                          a Maryland corporation




                        By: /s/ H. WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY
                            -------------------------
                            H. William Willoughby
                            President




                            /s/ DAVID B. IANNARONE
                            ----------------------
                            David B. Iannarone



         In consideration of the services that the Executive is to perform on
behalf of the Company, the Parent agrees that it will fulfill its obligations
set forth expressly herein.


         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, CRIIMI MAE Inc. has executed this First Amendment
as of the date and year first above written.

                       CRIIMI MAE INC.



                        By: /s/ WILLIAM B. DOCKSER
                            --------------------------
                            William B. Dockser
                            Chairman of the Board

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