Burke VDOT Officials Plead Guilty In Bribery Scheme

BURKE, VA—Two former Virginia Department of Transportation officials and three private contractors have pleaded guilty to bribery schemes involving snow removal work. For about five years, the VDOT officials received $440,000 in bribes from contractors during the snow season, according to court documents.

Anthony Willie, 55, of Culpeper and Kenneth Duane Adams, 42, of Fairfax pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud in Alexandria federal court Thursday. Adams also admitted to previously distributing cocaine to colleagues at VDOT and others, and to obtaining cocaine from a VDOT co-worker's relative.

The three contractors, Rolando Pineda Moran, 46, of Alexandria, Elmer Mejia, 50 of Aldie, and John Williamson, 51, of Springfield pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

Court documents show Willie and Adams would meet negotiate these bribes beginning in the 2012‑2013 winter season through the 2016‑2017 winter season. They could solicit and receive bribes at local restaurants, grocery stores, and parking lots in Burke and Fairfax.

The snow removal contracts totaled more than $10.3 million over five years. Each agreement gave a portion of their hourly contracts as cash payments to Willie and Adams, who would sign off on their VDOT invoices.

Five will be sentenced in February 2018. The three contractors face up to 20 years in prison, while Willie faces 60 years and Adams 100 years. A sixth defendant, Shaheen Sariri, 31, of Fairfax, faces trial in January.

The defendants' lawyers have not responded to The Washington Post's request for comment.

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