CULPEPER COUNTY, Va. — The Sheriff of Culpeper County is facing charges after officials say he accepted bribes in exchange for law enforcement badges and credentials.
Sheriff Scott Howard Jenkins, 51, is accused of taking at least $72,000 in cash bribes in the form of campaign contributions 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.
According to court documents, Jenkins appointed each of the men who paid as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, which is a sworn law-enforcement position. After being appointed, each of the men received official Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office badges and identification cards.
Jenkins reportedly told the men or caused others to inform them that the credentials authorized them to carry concealed firearms in all 50 states without obtaining a permit.
According to the "About Sheriff Jenkins" section of the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office website, "In 2019 Scott made headlines by promising to deputize thousands of law-abiding citizens in the face of proposed unconstitutional gun control legislation."
Jenkins also allegedly helped Rahim get approval for a petition to restore his firearms rights in Culpeper County Circuit Court falsely claiming that Rahim lived in Culpeper County.
The sheriff has been 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 of the defendants 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.
Recently retired Culpeper Police Chief Chris Jenkins, who is unrelated to Sheriff Jenkins, questions if more are involved.
"I think the public is owed an explanation of how deep does this go," Chris Jenkins told WUSA9. "Otherwise, I'm not sure how you restore trust in the sheriff's office. The community doesn't expect us to go out here and take tens of thousands of dollars from people to sell them a badge and a gun. It's insulting to every man and woman across this country who wears a badge and got out everyday to risk their lives to protect us."
Chief Chris Jenkins is from Culpeper and served more than four decades in law enforcement before he retired in January. He worked closely with Sheriff Jenkins and accused him of being political and a bully. He said there are members of the community who are not surprised by the allegations.
"He basically sold out his office," added Chief Jenkins. "I'm not shocked by this but I am disappointed."