A former District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) contract specialist has been found guilty in a sprawling bribery scheme. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dana Garnett, 61, was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud. Evidence presented during the trial showed that she colluded with vendors to defraud DCPS by accepting fewer supplies than ordered and receiving kickbacks.
The verdict, shared by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro alongside FBI and District of Columbia Inspector General representatives, marks the end of Garnett's role in the scheme lasting at least five years. Garnett, from Hyattsville, Maryland, engaged in the illegal business with several local vendors, falsifying orders and pocketing cash for her personal use, including gambling expenses and the purchase of a major household appliance. Garnett now faces up to 15 years in prison for her actions.
Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Garnett worked with a DCPS co-conspirator and coordinated with vendors to deliver a reduced amount of goods that were listed on the orders. With payments made by DCPS for the full orders upon the false certifications made by Garnett, the vendors would then provide cash to Garnett and her collaborator, exchanged in parking lots and other nondescript locations throughout D.C. and Maryland.
Three of Garnett’s associates have already pleaded guilty to their involvement in the bribery conspiracy. Patricia Bailey, once an administrative officer at DCPS's Cardozo Education Campus, admitted to one count of bribery last October. Similarly, Donald McWhirter and Duane King, owners of General Business Supplies Unlimited and American Business Supplies, respectively, have pleaded guilty to their parts in the deceit. Notably, King was also involved in another scheme with employees of the DC Fire and Emergency Services Department, where he bribed them for business and payment authorizations for undelivered goods.
The investigation, a combined effort by the FBI's Washington Field Office and DC's Inspector General, shed light on a broad network of corruption within the public sector's supply chain. Sentencing is pending for Bailey, McWhirter, and King. Meanwhile, Yelake Meseretu, owner of U.S. Office Solutions and also a supplier to DCPS, awaits trial on charges of bribery and wire fraud, allegedly for having business steered his way by Garnett.
