U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh | U.S. Department of Justice
A former sheriff from Culpeper County, Virginia, has been found guilty by a jury in Charlottesville for accepting bribes exceeding $75,000. The payments were made in exchange for appointments to the position of auxiliary deputy sheriffs.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Scott Howard Jenkins, aged 53 and residing in Culpeper, accepted cash bribes and campaign contributions from Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, James Metcalf, and others including two FBI undercover agents. In return for these payments, Jenkins appointed the individuals as auxiliary deputy sheriffs. These positions came with official badges and credentials from the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office despite the appointees not being trained or vetted. Furthermore, they did not provide any legitimate services to the office.
Jenkins also exerted pressure on local officials to approve a petition by Rahim—who is a convicted felon—to restore his firearm possession rights under false pretenses of residency in Culpeper County.
The jury convicted Jenkins on multiple charges: one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. His sentencing is scheduled for March 31, 2025. He could face up to five years in prison for conspiracy charges alone; each count of honest services fraud carries a potential sentence of 20 years while each bribery charge could lead to an additional 10-year sentence. A federal judge will determine his final sentence after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other statutory factors.
Rahim, Gumbinner, and Metcalf had previously admitted guilt regarding their involvement in this scheme and await sentencing at future dates.
This announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia; along with Special Agent Stanley M. Meador from the FBI Richmond Field Office.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the FBI Richmond Field Office's Charlottesville Resident Agency.
Trial Attorneys Celia Choy and Lina Peng from the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN), along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith for the Western District of Virginia are handling prosecution efforts with support from PIN Paralegal Specialist Lauren Fastenau.
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