Barbara Powell, Bribing Public Employee, SC 2024

Barbara Powell, 59, of Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for bribing a public employee, a conviction tied to a years-long scheme to corrupt construction contracting at Joint Base Charleston (JBC). U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel handed down the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release and a $12,500 fine, marking a rare public fall for a federal contracting officer once trusted with millions in defense spending.

Powell exploited her role as a government-contracting officer at JBC, where she held the power to award and administer construction contracts for the federal government. Between 2011 and 2015, she systematically solicited and accepted dozens of bribes from subcontractors seeking favorable treatment. The bribes, totaling more than $15,000, were paid in exchange for inside information and rigged bids—all while JBC, a sprawling military installation formed from the 2010 merger of the Naval Weapons Station and Charleston Air Force Base, underwent costly renovations.

Instead of fair competition, Powell rigged the system. She steered lucrative projects to subcontractors who paid her off and, worse, handed over confidential bid proposals to those same firms—information that should have remained locked within government channels. By leaking pricing data and manipulating award decisions, Powell undermined the integrity of federal contracting and jeopardized taxpayer-funded military projects.

The case was a joint takedown by federal watchdogs: the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Their probe peeled back layers of quiet corruption, exposing how easily one official with access could distort competition and enrich herself at the expense of transparency and national security.

Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart, based in the Charleston office, prosecuted the case with a no-frills approach, relying on financial records, witness testimony, and intercepted communications to prove the bribery scheme beyond doubt. No plea bargaining softened the blow—Powell was held fully accountable under 18 U.S.C. § 201, the federal statute criminalizing bribery of public officials.

This conviction sends a message: even in the quiet corridors of military procurement, corruption won’t go unnoticed. Barbara Powell traded her integrity for cash and now pays the price behind bars. But the real cost—the erosion of trust in federal contracting—will take longer to repair.