The FBI arrested two employees from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department Thursday for accepting bribes to benefit a Maryland contractor over several years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Louis “Joey” Mitchell, 50, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, and Charity Keys, 43, of Bowie, Maryland, allegedly accepted bribes from the owner of a Maryland company who had a contract to provide goods to the department and other D.C. agencies, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. One of the bribes amounted to $20,000 each, investigators said.
In exchange for the bribes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the pair “directed purchase agreements and purchase orders to the company and confirmed delivery of and payment for goods that the company did not deliver.”
The arrests came years after the department first reported suspicious activity in its logistics division to law enforcement in October 2019.
“I applaud our employees who uncovered the suspicious activity and immediately notified law enforcement,” Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr. said in a news release. “That swift action was deserving of the trust our residents place in our Department.”
Both employees worked for the department for many years, according to D.C. Fire and EMS. Keys worked as a supply management specialist for 24 years at the department. Mitchell, a supply technician, worked there for 15 years.
“We are extremely disappointed about these allegations as we have zero tolerance for criminal conduct,” Donnelly said. “The men and women of DC Fire and EMS work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to serve this community.”
Mitchell and Keys were placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal review of the charges on Thursday morning, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and D.C. Office of Inspector General.
