Culpeper Sheri indicted on bribery, fraud, conspiracy charges

An indictment unsealed last Thursday charged Culpeper County Sheri Scott Jenkins and three other Virginia men with a conspiracy to exchange bribes for law enforcement badges and credentials, federal programs bribery, and honest services fraud, according to a press release from the United States Attorney's O ce of Western District of Virginia.

According to the indictment, from at least April 2019, Jenkins, 51, accepted cash bribes and bribes in the form of campaign contributions totaling at least $72,500 from Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, of Great Falls, Fredric Gumbinner, 64, of Fairfax, James Metcalf, 60, of Manassas, and at least ve others, including two FBI undercover agents.

In return, Jenkins appointed each of the bribe payors as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, a sworn law-enforcement position, and issued them Culpeper County Sheri ’s O ce badges and identification cards.

Jenkins told or caused others to tell the bribe payors that those law-enforcement credentials authorized them to carry concealed rearms in all y states without obtaining a permit. In addition, Jenkins assisted Rahim in gaining approval for a petition to restore his rearms rights led in Culpeper County Circuit Court that falsely stated that Rahim resided in Culpeper County, the release continued.

Jenkins is charged with 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 bene ts,” said United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “Our elected o cials are expected to uphold the rule of law, not abuse their power for their own personal, nancial gain.”

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to ve years in prison on the conspiracy count, up to 20 years in prison on each of the honest-services mail and wire fraud counts, and up to 10 years in prison on each of the federal programs bribery counts.

Jenkins is running for reelection and will face Joseph Watson and Timothy Chilton at the ballot box.