Federal prosecutors have charged the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, with soliciting bribes in exchange for sheriff’s badges.
Sheriff Scott Jenkins, 51, is accused of accepting cash and campaign contributions totaling $72,500 from at least eight individuals, including two undercover FBI agents.
In exchange for money, Mr. Jenkins would hand out Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office badges and ID cards. He also said the law enforcement credentials allowed them to carry a concealed weapon anywhere in the U.S., without a separate permit, according to prosecutors.
The charges against Mr. Jenkins include one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud and eight counts of federal programs bribery.
“Scott Jenkins not only violated federal law but also violated the faith and trust placed in him by the citizens of Culpeper County by accepting cash bribes in exchange for auxiliary deputy badges and other benefits. Our elected officials are expected to uphold the rule of law, not abuse their power for their own personal, financial gain,” said Christopher Kavanaugh, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
FBI earlier this year seized roughly $10,000 from Mr. Jenkins’ 2022 reelection campaign. Sources with knowledge of the investigation told WRC-TV that several Culpeper County employees had been subpoenaed to testify to a federal grand jury in the case.
Among those individuals are the three other defendants named in the indictment: Rick Rahim, 55, of Great Falls, Fredric Gumbinner, 64, of Fairfax, and James Metcalf, 60, of Manassas.
Mr. Jenkins is also alleged to have helped Mr. Rahim get his firearm rights restored by Culpeper County Circuit Court. In a petition to the court, Mr. Jenkins allegedly falsely stated that Mr. Rahim lives in the county, though he does not, according to prosecutors.
Mr. Rahim lost his right to firearms after being convicted in 1992 of three felony counts of obtaining property under false pretenses.
Mr. Rahim is charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud and three counts of federal programs bribery. Mr. Gumbinner and Mr. Metcalf are each charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of honest-services wire fraud and two counts of federal programs bribery.
Each conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years, each federal programs bribery charge a maximum of 10 years, and each mail and wire fraud count a maximum of 20 years — if the defendants are convicted.
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