United States v. James Height
Middle District of Pennsylvania Docket Number 3:CR-09-00164
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Case Summary:
On May 18, 2009, James Height was charged in a one-count information with corrupt receipt of a reward in connection with official action, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, section 666. According to the charge, James Height was an elected member of the Board of Education for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, a local governmental agency within the meaning of federal law that received federal assistance in excess of $10,000 during the one-year period beginning on June 1, 2008.
The information charges that, as a member of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board of Education, Mr. Height exercised discretionary decision-making authority on behalf of the Board of Education and on behalf of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and was an agent of the Board of Education and of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Among other discretionary decision-making activities, the information charges that Mr. Height participated in the awarding of contracts on behalf of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District.
The information alleges that between on or about January 1, 2009 and on or about April 1, 2009, Mr. Height corruptly accepted, and agreed to accept, cash in the amount of $2,000, intending to be rewarded in connection with support Mr. Height provided to a contractor seeking to enter into a contract with the Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board of Education.
The information further alleges that it was part of the offense that Mr. Height, acting in his capacity as a member of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District Board of Education, supported the efforts of a contractor who was seeking to enter into a contract with the Wilkes-Barre Area School District involving a thing of value in excess of $5,000 and that, after Mr. Height supported the particular contractor for the contract, the contractor paid $2,000 cash to Mr. Height for supporting the contractor’s efforts to obtain the contract and to reward Mr. Height for support Mr. Height had provided in connection with a contract the contractor obtained for work at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical School.