Investigations
VDOT Contractor Sentenced for Fraud Scheme
On March 16, 2018, Shaheen Sariri, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Alexandria, Virginia, to 12 months’ and 1 day of incarceration, 2 years’ supervised release, $233,210 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment fee. Sariri pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in December 2017.
Beginning in early 2013, Anthony Willie and Kenneth Adams used their official positions as employees at Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Burke Area Headquarters, to enrich themselves. Specifically, they negotiated bribe agreements with several owners and operators of trucking and snow-removal companies in northern Virginia, including Sariri, Rolando Moran, and John Williamson. Each agreement stated that in exchange for obtaining snow-removal work, the owners would provide Willie and Adams a percentage or a flat rate of their hourly contracts as cash payments. In addition, Willie and Adams would sign off on the companies’ invoices to VDOT. From the 2013–2014 to the 2015–2016 snow season, Willie and Adams received approximately $140,000 in cash bribes.