FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2002 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRM (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. A former official with the Dayton, Ohio, Office of the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, pleaded guilty today in federal court to accepting several gratuities from Dayton-area vendors in exchange for ordering products for the Census 2000 Campaign.
Isaiah O. Adegbile, a 70-year old former Community Partnership Specialist with the Census, worked in community outreach and promotion of the Census 2000 campaign. He was authorized to use Census funds to purchase T-shirts, rulers, mugs, and other Census 2000 promotional items from local vendors. An undercover investigation conducted by federal agents established that Adegbile misused his Census position between Fall 1999 and Spring 2000 to solicit and receive at least $1,750 in secret cash payments from four Dayton vendors, in exchange for agreeing to purchase promotional goods from the vendors.
A federal grand jury sitting in Columbus indicted Adegbile on Oct. 13, 2000 on charges of wire fraud and bribery. As part of the plea agreement, the charges were dismissed in exchange for Adegbile's plea of guilty to one count of accepting a gratuity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(c). Adegbile now faces a maximum sentence of up to 2 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date by the Honorable Walter E. Rice, Jr., Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio.
The prosecution is being handled by the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Dayton, Ohio Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Commerce. 02-672
Source: US Department of Justice
