WASHINGTON - Shawn B. Armstead, 37, a former Special Police Officer employed by the District of Columbia Public Schools (“DCPS”), has been sentenced to 12 months and one day of incarceration, to be followed by 24 months of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, for taking money from an individual who sought to conduct a for-profit parking business using DCPS property, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, announced today.

Armstead received his sentence this morning in U.S. District Court before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman. Armstead, who became a DCPS Special Police Officer in June 2005, and a second DCPS Special Police Officer, Shawn M. Johnson, 38, both of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2008 to Receipt of a Bribe by a Public Official. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Both defendants have been terminated from their employment.

“Law enforcement officers hold a unique position of public trust. When that trust is betrayed, much more is harmed than just the reputation of a particular officer. Police corruption harms the entire criminal justice system by undermining the efforts of the vast majority of law enforcement officers who are honest, hard-working, and dedicated to upholding the law,” said U.S. Attorney Taylor. “Armstead’s conviction and sentence should serve as an important deterrent to any law enforcement official who might consider whether to solicit or accept bribes.”

"Police officers who sell their public trust tarnish the badges of all law enforcement officers,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Persichini. “The FBI will continue its relentless pursuit to bring those offenders to justice.”

According to the information presented to the Court by the government, the defendants were employed as Special Police Officers by DCPS, a District of Columbia government agency. Their official duties included, among other things, policing school grounds and enforcing various laws and regulations of the District of Columbia, as well as reporting suspected criminal activity and arresting individuals suspected of violating the law.

Between July 2, 2008 and August 27, 2008, the defendants solicited and accepted bribes from an individual who was operating a for-profit parking enterprise in the immediate vicinity of Eastern Senior High School (“Eastern”), a public school operated by DCPS at 1700 East Capitol Street, NE, Washington, D.C. That individual, who was not affiliated with the school, was charging vehicles to park on school property for events that were held both on and off school property. The defendants first discovered the parking operation on July 2, 2008, when they were dispatched to investigate a function being held on school grounds. The following day, while on duty, the defendants returned to Eastern and accepted approximately $120 in return for not interfering with the parking operation. Subsequently, the individual who was operating the parking business contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report that the defendants had extorted money from him.

Over the next several weeks, the defendants twice made arrangements to obtain bribe payments from the same individual, who had made it clear to the defendants that he intended to operate his parking business on DCPS property without authorization. The defendants initially demanded $500 a piece for protecting the parking operation from being disrupted. When the individual running the parking operation complained that the amount was too high, the defendants agreed to accept $650 for both of them. On July 31, 2008, the defendants agreed to meet near Eliot Junior High School, 1830 Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C., where they accepted a $650 cash bribe. When the individual paying the bribe expressed concerns for operating the parking business without DCPS authorization, Armstead replied, “We got you covered.”

Subsequently, the defendants raised their “price,” demanding $800 in return for permitting the same individual to operate the unauthorized parking business on DCPS property. On August 27, 2008, outside Eliot Junior High School, the defendants accepted an $800 bribe, which they split between them. The defendants accepted this money in return for their agreement not to perform their sworn duties as Special Police Officers for DCPS. As DCPS Special Police Officers, the defendants had a duty to take action upon learning that DCPS property would be used without authority. They failed to do so.

In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Taylor and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Persichini commended the members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office who participated in this investigation. They also commended the staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant April Peeler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Haray, who is prosecuting the cases.