A former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, has been found guilty of federal bribery charges. Scott Howard Jenkins, aged 53 and a resident of Culpeper, was convicted by a jury in Charlottesville for accepting more than $75,000 in bribes. These bribes were exchanged for appointments as auxiliary deputy sheriffs.
Evidence presented at the trial revealed that Jenkins accepted cash and campaign contributions from co-defendants Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, and James Metcalf. Additionally, he received bribes from at least five others, including two undercover FBI agents. In return for these payments, Jenkins appointed the individuals as auxiliary deputy sheriffs without proper training or vetting and issued them official badges and credentials from the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office.
Further accusations against Jenkins included pressuring local officials to approve a petition falsely claiming that Rahim resided in Culpeper County to restore his firearm possession rights despite his status as a convicted felon.
Jenkins faces multiple charges: one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery related to programs receiving federal funds. His sentencing is scheduled for March 31, 2025. He could face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, 20 years for each count of honest services fraud, and 10 years for each bribery count. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
Rahim, Gumbinner, and Metcalf have all previously pleaded guilty regarding their involvement in this bribery scheme and await sentencing.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador from the FBI Richmond Field Office.
The case is under investigation by the FBI Richmond Field Office's Charlottesville Resident Agency with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith along with Trial Attorneys Celia Choy and Lina Peng from the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN).