Shauntell Harley, 48, of Washington, D.C., has admitted to selling out her position for cash, pleading guilty today to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery tied to a $480,310 scam that bled the D.C. government dry. As a management analyst in the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Harley didn’t just sign off on fake invoices—she helped create them, all for personal gain.
Between 2012 and 2014, Harley exploited her role in fiscal policy and grant management to grease the wheels for fraudulent payments. In one scheme, she partnered with Vashawn Strader, 39, a D.C.-based business owner, to funnel money through his shell companies by fabricating invoices for early intervention services and training that never happened. Harley handed over inside information, coached Strader on document prep, and pushed the phony claims through official channels—netting Strader’s firms $308,311 and Harley $43,900 in illicit proceeds.
The second scheme, running in 2013 and 2014, followed the same playbook. Harley colluded with another company owner to generate fake purchase orders and submit invoices for services never rendered. This time, the D.C. government was stiffed for $179,999, with Harley pocketing $53,000 in kickbacks. The owner of the second firm is not named in the plea documents, but the paper trail implicates a coordinated effort to exploit public funds.
Harley now faces 70 to 87 months in federal prison under sentencing guidelines, with Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled to hand down the final judgment on June 7, 2018. In addition to prison time, she has agreed to pay $488,311 in restitution to OSSE and forfeit $100,400—money the government says she can’t keep, no matter how quietly she tried to cash out.
Strader, who pled guilty in October 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, also owes $308,311 in restitution and forfeiture. His sentencing is pending, but the pattern is clear: a corrupt pipeline from government office to private pockets, lubricated by forged paperwork and insider access.
“This was not incompetence—this was theft by badge,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu at today’s announcement. FBI Assistant Director Andrew W. Vale and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas credited investigators with peeling back layers of deception. “Public trust isn’t for sale,” Lucas said. “And we’re coming after every dollar.”
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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