Felix Nelson Ayala Charged in Prince George’s Bribery Scheme

Felix Nelson Ayala, a Rockville, Maryland accountant and founder of the non-profit Salvadoran Business Caucus, was charged yesterday with bribery and making false statements in a scheme to funnel cash to former Prince George’s County Council Member Will Campos in exchange for county grant funding. The criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, alleges Ayala paid Campos $5,000 annually from 2012 through 2015—tied directly to $25,000 in grants awarded to his organization each year. Ayala’s initial appearance is set for today at 1:45 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.

According to the affidavit, Ayala operated both Ayala and Associates Public Accountants in Washington, D.C., and the Salvadoran Business Caucus—also known as Caucus Salvadoreno Empresarial, Inc. (CSE)—a non-profit claiming to award scholarships. But behind the facade, federal investigators allege, Ayala was running a pay-to-play operation. In exchange for $5,000 cash bribes delivered to Campos, CSE received $25,000 in taxpayer-funded grants every fiscal year from 2012 to 2015. The arrangement wasn’t subtle—the two men discussed it openly, with Ayala assuring Campos the deal would continue even after Campos left the County Council for the Maryland General Assembly.

One such exchange went down on August 13, 2014, during a lunch in Washington, D.C. Ayala asked Campos how the grant flow would continue post-Council. Campos asked, “Do you have anything for me?” Ayala promised a payoff within two weeks, saying, “I’ll call you and I’ll say let’s have a drink—and you know what it’s for.” Campos requested $5,000 “like last time,” and Ayala agreed. Then, on September 23, 2014, the two met again, this time at a Silver Spring restaurant. Ayala handed Campos an envelope with a cashier’s check for $2,500, explaining, “I was unable to obtain cash. It’s better like this. This comes from— from a third party who knows me, so it’s better.” Campos cracked, “Half now, half later,” and Ayala replied, “I would say that.”

The second half of the bribe followed weeks later. On January 8, 2015, Ayala met Campos at his D.C. office, reached into his desk, and handed over a second envelope. “Is this the rest that we talked about? 2,500?” Campos asked. “Yeah,” Ayala responded. Inside: $2,500 in cash. The affidavit makes clear the direct quid pro quo—each payment followed shortly after grant approvals, with both men treating the arrangement as routine business.

When confronted by federal agents on January 5, 2017, Ayala denied ever giving anything of value to Campos in exchange for grants. He stuck to the lie—until agents showed him still images from surveillance video capturing the handoffs on September 23, 2014, and January 8, 2015. Faced with irrefutable proof, Ayala had no explanation. The false statements charge stems directly from that interview, where he allegedly lied to federal investigators about the bribes.

If convicted, Ayala faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison for bribery and up to five years for making false statements. The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, FBI Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman, and Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski. Ayala remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. But the paper trail—and video evidence—paint a damning picture of corruption traded over meals, envelopes, and taxpayer dollars.