Multiple Guilty Pleas Entered in Portsmouth Naval Medical Center Corruption Probe

NORFOLK, VA—Wendy Walters, 47 of Portsmouth, Va.; Bryan Fox, 34, of Chesapeake, Va.; and Todd Jenkins, 48, of Virginia Beach, Va., today pled guilty in Norfolk federal court to bribery charges.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement and commended the joint effort of the agencies involved in this multi-agency public corruption investigation.

“Bribery isn’t just the cost of doing business—it’s a serious crime that threatens the public’s confidence in our government,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Our office has renewed its focus on public corruption, and we’re aggressively investigating allegations on all levels of government.”

Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. accepted Walter’s plea; U.S. Magistrate Judge Tommy E. Miller accepted Fox’s plea; and Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar accepted Jenkins’ plea. Walters will be sentenced on November 1, 2010; Fox will be sentenced August 6, 2010; and Jenkins will be sentenced on August 30, 2010. Each faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, full restitution, forfeiture, and at least three years of supervised release.

According to court records, Walters, an employee at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, accepted bribes in her official capacity from January 2006 until December 2009. Walters received approximately $20,000 in cash and other items, in exchange for placing $450,000 in orders with local medical supply vendors on behalf of the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center.

Fox, an E-5 Supply Petty Officer at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, accepted bribes from July 2007 through June 2009. The bribes amounted to approximately $26,000 in cash and other items in exchange for placing $625,000 in orders with local medical supply vendors on behalf of the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center.

Jenkins was a co-owner of a medical supply company. According to court records, Jenkins paid bribes in the approximate amount of $50,000 in cash and other items in exchange for receiving approximately $500,000 in orders placed with his companies by the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center.

Two more individuals, Joseph Cafiero, 63, of Virginia Beach, Va. and Thomas Michael Mullen, 30, of Chesapeake, Va., have also been charged and have scheduled change of plea hearings on May 14, 2010.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Naval Audit Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Seidel, Jr. and Kevin Comstock are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.