A former Culpeper County sheriff has been sentenced to ten years in prison for bribery.
According to a December 2024 media release from the US Department of Justice, Scott Howard Jenkins was convicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes.
Jenkins, 53, took cash bribes and bribes in the shape of 2023 campaign contributions from several co-defendants and at least five other people, including two undercover FBI agents.
In exchange, Jenkins appointed each of the subjects as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, who are sworn law enforcement posts. He also handed out authentic Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) badges and credentials.
Untrained and unvetted, these “auxiliary deputies” provided no real CCSO services.
One of the appointees, Rick Rahim, was a convicted felon who petitioned Culpeper County Circuit Court to reclaim his ability to own a handgun. The petition also incorrectly claimed that Rahim lived in Culpeper County. Sheriff Jenkins then pressured local officials to endorse the petition.
Jenkins was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery in connection with federally funded programs on December 18, 2024.
On March 21, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia announced that Jenkins will be sentenced to ten years in federal prison.
“We hold our elected law enforcement officials to a higher standard of conduct and this case proves that when those officials use their authority for unjust personal enrichment, the Department of Justice will hold them accountable,” acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said on Friday. I am grateful to the FBI for their tireless work on this investigation.”
The co-defendants have already pled guilty to their participation in the bribery conspiracy and will be sentenced at a later date.
Tim Chilton, former deputy chief of the Culpeper Police Department, is the current sheriff of Culpeper County.