Ex-Culpeper sheriff faces trial in bribery scheme involving more than $70,000 – NBC4 Washington

Former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins is expected to arrive in federal court in Charlottesville on Tuesday morning to face a trial that could land him years in federal prison.

Jenkins pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, fraud and bribery. His three co-defendants have all pleaded guilty and are expected to testify.

Undercover FBI agents who said they gave bribes to Jenkins are expected to testify. Unindicted businessmen who prosecutors allege gave money to Jenkins are also expected to testify.

In 2023, federal judges allowed the government to wiretap the phones of people connected to the alleged payments, and court records show that a confidential informant recorded hours of audio and video recordings of some of the transactions. All of this awaits Jenkins at the courthouse.

Neither Jenkins nor his attorney have responded to repeated questions from the I-Team about the case and the allegations.

Jenkins' lawyers claim he is the victim, citing Trump

On November 6, Jenkins' lawyers released a statement on an online fundraising website for his legal defense.

“Scott needs your help now more than ever! The trial begins next week and we are in the fight of our lives. “Don’t let Scott become another victim of liberal political persecution,” they said.

The next day, the lawyers wrote: “We have seen how political activists have treated Donald Trump and those close to him like Scott.” Many in Trump's entourage have been charged with crimes or had their lives and reputations threatened by leaks and allegations of a gun-toting Biden Justice Department ruined. These people lose everything as they fight for their lives against the full weight and power of an armed federal government. Unfortunately, Scott Jenkins is now one of those victims.”

Jenkins first gained national attention in late 2019 as the Virginia General Assembly considered changes to the commonwealth's gun laws. At the time, Jenkins repeatedly said he would send thousands of deputies to circumvent possible new gun restrictions in Virginia.

Jenkins led the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office for more than a decade, from 2012 to 2023. Federal prosecutors said that during many of those years he handed out relief badges to people who paid him thousands of dollars in checks and cash. Federal authorities said the alleged payments were bribes.

A federal indictment and accompanying documents allege that Jenkins accepted more than $70,000 in bribes. Prosecutors said some of the money was deposited into Jenkins' campaign accounts, while much of it was deposited directly into his personal accounts.

Court documents filed in final preparation for the trial allege that “the origins of the bribery scheme” date back to 2011, when Jenkins first ran for office. A donor to that campaign gave $5,000 and was sworn in as an assistant deputy later in 2012, according to records. Jenkins is not charged with a crime related to that payment, but the same court filings say that since 2015, Jenkins and that donor worked to find other “wealthy Northern Virginia businessmen who wanted to be sworn in as auxiliary legislators in exchange for campaign contributions.”

In text message conversations, Jenkins and someone listed in court records as Individual 1 referred to Individual 1's recruits as “money men.” The “money men” were motivated to purchase sheriff's badges primarily because Jenkins and Individual 1 told them that the badges gave them the authority to carry a concealed weapon in all 50 states without obtaining a concealed carry permit.

According to a trial preview filed by prosecutors, Jenkins and Individual 1 also allegedly told the “money men” that if they were stopped by law enforcement while driving, they could show their badges and IDs as a “professional courtesy.” to demand Avoid a ticket.

In court filings, prosecutors tell the court: “At trial, the government intends to present evidence that, since at least 2015, Jenkins accepted campaign contributions from Northern Virginia businessmen recruited by Individual 1 in exchange for utility badges.”

The investigation begins

Court documents show that the FBI registered “Person 1,” a “confidential human source,” in June 2022. As part of his cooperation, he agreed to “arrange meetings between Jenkins and potential bribe takers at the direction of the FBI and to record these meetings using hidden audio and video recording devices.”

These recordings are expected to be part of the process. A timeline of alleged bribes shows that Jenkins allegedly accepted payments from two businessmen and two undercover FBI agents after the informant agreed to record meetings.

A sheriff's deputy in Culpeper County, Virginia, pleaded guilty to bribery on Monday, six years before the sheriff himself goes on trial. Investigative reporter Ted Oberg reports.

The investigation becomes public

The News4 I-Team first learned of the investigation into then-Sheriff Scott Jenkins in April 2023, when the FBI filed a notice on January 31, 2023 that it had seized $10,000 from Jenkins' campaign account. A few weeks earlier, the I-Team learned that several Culpeper County employees had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury.

The I-Team learned of a large number of deputies appointed by Jenkins. Searching Culpeper County court records, the I-Team found 46 deputies appointed by Jenkins and sworn in by a county judge. That's more than double the number of auxiliary deputies authorized by a Culpeper County ordinance that states auxiliary deputies “shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the paid force.”

The number of deputies is far from the only question the I-Team has about the program. According to the sheriff's general order, deputies are to be trained. According to results of a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services only has training materials for three of the 46 support staff. There was no evidence that background checks were conducted. Rick Rahim, one of the deputies, had been convicted of crimes in the past.

Jenkins and three co-defendants were arraigned on June 28, 2023. All three co-defendants have since pleaded guilty.

A second former Culpeper County sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty in the bribery case involving former Sheriff Scott Jenkins. Ted Oberg of the News4 I-Team reports.

Feds offer explanation for alleged bribes

Jenkins never discussed the payments; neither did his lawyers. But prosecutors cite a possible motive for Jenkins to take the money: In a motion filed to preview the trial, prosecutors claim Jenkins can't afford his lifestyle.

Prosecutors promise that an FBI agent will explain on the witness stand that “Jenkins was financially overextended, demonstrating his need to solicit and accept the bribes.”

Reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Rick Yarborough, shot and edited by Jeff Piper