One may believe that circumstances involving sex, drugs, and bribes can be most accredited to organized crime syndicates. However, it seems that Mafia-style pay-to-play tactics have become entrenched in one of Virginia’s most well-known institutions. Though, it is happening in undoubtedly the least-obvious place — snow removal operations within the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
During a 2016 snowstorm, in the snow-blanketed suburban area of Fairfax County, VDOT official Anthony Willie booked a room at a local hotel for night. He was in charge of the snowplowing operations for the suburb of Burke in the county.
According to a report from The Washington Post, while Willie stayed in his hotel room, he decided to engage in a bit of fun. As reported from court documents, the official made calls to contractors to send women to his room and even directly contacted a female snowplow driver for “fun.”
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” Willie said. “Because I do extra for who you working for and make sure you are going to get yours.”
Unfortunately for him, the brief exchange was caught by federal prosecutors on a wiretap that was ordered before Willie even made it to the hotel, signalling a history of abuse within the department.
Willie, who was recently handed a seven year prison sentence on public corruption charges, was among seven others that were convicted in the investigation.
For at least six years, Willie and his deputy, Kenneth Adams, demanded bribes from snowplow drivers in exchange for work. During that time, they would rendezvous at Outback Steakhouse and McDonald’s in the neighborhoods surrounding Washington D.C. to pick up their pay.
As time went on, both increased their demands in the pay-to-play scheme. Contractors reportedly mentioned that they were threatened when they refused demands for increase bribes.
Weeks ago, Adams plead guilty to charges and is now serving five years in prison. Five snowplow contractors who paid the men were also slapped with sentences ranging from three months to one year.
Interestingly, all seven defendants who were present in court claimed the corruption within VDOT is, “endemic to the culture and more extensive than the scheme that put them behind bars,” according to the report.
Before being thrown behind bars, contractor John Williamson said, “It is rampant, and it is part of the culture of the agency.” He added, “It is happening now, it will happen in the future.”
Samantha Bateman prosecuted the case and said during the court proceedings that, “this is a more pervasive problem in the Virginia Department of Transportation than is known.” The court case is yet to be finished as an uncharged snowplow contractor is said to have written Willie’s wife tens of thousands of dollars of checks.
The situation has become so large that the Fairfax Country Police Department has created a position solely to deal with VDOT corruption. Jennifer McCord, a spokeswoman for the department, stated that the former employee’s actions, “completely run contrary to the values we uphold” and VDOT is currently engaging in, “ongoing reviews and internal controls to more securely safeguard procurement and contracting processes.”
More than a year before the investigation into VDOT began, snowplow operator Shaheen Sariri, who was sentenced to one year in prison this month, contacted local law enforcement to report an unrelated corruption scheme involving a contractor who had been married to his mother. However, Sariri claimed he had never paid any bribes VDOT officials.
The investigation originally started after another snowplow contractor contacted the FBI for alleged corruption involving falsified vehicle registrations. When agents searched Rolanda Pineda Moran’s home, he told them they were missing the “big picture.”
“You’re looking at the trees. There’s a big forest out there,” Moran told the FBI agents, according to his defense attorney at the contractor’s sentencing for a six-month term.
When the FBI went forward with investigating the case of corruption they had Adams wear a wire when meeting other officials at rendezvous points. He recorded the meetings in fast-food and restaurant parking lots where contractors exchanged bags of cash. However, during the recorded meetings, Adams was still taking bribes and was then dropped as an undercover informant.
Court documents state that both VDOT officials took an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 in cash bribes.
The snow falling on Northern Virginia was not only coming from the clouds above. In yet another turn of events, all while this has happening, Adams was selling cocaine. He even told it to his boss who was videotaped snorting it off a desk in his office. Furthermore, Adams pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
The snowplow scheme, however, did not interfere with taxpayer dollars.
Contracts for snow removal are handled at a higher level than with the people who were caught up in the corruption. State rules require that VDOT choose the lowest bidder with the right amount of equipment to handle a job and during large snowstorms, and all contractors are given work.
Willie and Adams only had control of which plowing contractors were contacted during smaller snow storms that only required a small amount of trucks and equipment.
In reference to the confusing stories surrounding VDOT, Hunter S. Thompson once said, “Truth is weirder than any fiction I’ve seen.”
