Rockville Accountant Charged in Prince George's County Bribery Scandal

ROCKVILLE, MD — A Rockville accountant faces federal bribery charges as part of a scandal that has rocked Prince George's County government when a former county council member and two Prince George's County Liquor Board officials were indicted last month on bribery charges. A criminal complaint filed Tuesday charged Felix Nelson Ayala, of Rockville, with bribery and making false statements in connection with a scheme to engage in bribery in order to influence a public official in the performance of his official duties in Prince George’s County.

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said last month that the Prince George's County defendants paid cash bribes to county officials in return for "favorable action concerning liquor licenses," adding: "Our government is not supposed to work that way."

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Ayala was founder of Ayala and Associates Public Accountants in Washington, D.C., and the founder of the Salvadoran Business Caucus, a non-profit organization also known as the Caucus Salvadoreno Empresarial, Inc. CSE’s website says it gives scholarships to high school and college students.

The affidavit claims that Ayala paid bribes to former Prince George’s County Council member and former delegate Will Campos in exchange for grant funding. He reportedly paid Campos $5,000 for each of the county fiscal years 2012 through 2015, in exchange for $25,000 in grants to CSE in each of those years.

For example, on Aug. 13, 2014, Campos met with Ayala for lunch and asked Campos what would happen once Campos assumed his position within the Maryland General Assembly. According to the affidavit, Campos said he would push for Ayala to still receive grant money after Campos left office. Ayala walked Campos out of the restaurant and allegedly handed Campos an envelope bearing a label for CSE and containing a cashier’s check for half the agreed upon amount.

Several months later, Ayala met with Campos at Ayala’s office in Washington, D.C. Authorities say Ayala took an envelope out of his desk, handed it to Campos, who asked if it was “the rest that we talked about? 2,500?” The affidavit alleges the envelope contained $2,500 in cash.

Campos pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy and bribery charges; he faces up to 10 years in prison.

If convicted, Ayala faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for bribery, and a maximum of five years in prison for false statements. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

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