Sheriff and Three Men Charged in Bribery Scheme Involving Purchase of Law-Enforcement Badges and Credentials

An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Virginia charging the Sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, and three Virginia men with a conspiracy to exchange bribes for law enforcement badges and credentials.

According to court documents, from at least April 2019, Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Howard Jenkins, 51, of Culpeper, 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 five 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 Sheriff’s Office badges and identification cards. Jenkins told or caused others to tell the bribe payors that those law-enforcement credentials authorized them to carry concealed firearms in all 50 states without obtaining a permit. In addition, Jenkins assisted Rahim in gaining approval for a petition to restore his firearms rights filed in Culpeper County Circuit Court that falsely stated that Rahim resided in Culpeper County.

Jenkins is charged with one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud, and eight counts of federal programs bribery. Rahim is charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of honest-services mail and wire fraud, and three counts of federal programs bribery. Gumbinner is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of honest-services wire fraud, and two counts of federal programs bribery. Metcalf is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of honest-services wire fraud, and two counts of federal programs bribery. 

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy count, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the honest-services mail and wire fraud counts, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the federal programs bribery counts. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances today in the Western District of Virginia.  

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Richmond Field Office, Charlottesville Resident Agency is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Carlton and Melanie Smith for the Western District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

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