A brazen bail bondsman has been brought to justice after pleading guilty to bribing public officials in exchange for favorable treatment in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Ulysses ‘Tugger’ Stephenson, 52, of Portsmouth, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bradford Stillman to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and one count of federal programs bribery.
The charges stem from a scheme in which Stephenson paid up to $150 per week to a Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office officer and gave up to $150 per month to local magistrate Deborah Clark in exchange for referrals and favorable treatment.
According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Stephenson earned money by charging arrestees a percentage of the amount of bond set by a magistrate. The larger the bond amount set, and the more arrestees that were referred to him as prospective clients, the more money Stephenson would earn.
Stephenson is subject to prosecution for bribery under a federal statute because the two people he bribed were agents of an organization or state receiving annual benefits in excess of $10,000 under federal programs involving grants and other forms of assistance.
The case was investigated by the FBI, and Trial Attorneys Peter Mason and Monique Abrishami of the Public Integrity Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Stephenson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the conspiracy, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the bribery. Sentencing is scheduled for November 2, 2012, in front of U.S. District Judge Rebecca Smith.
This is a stark reminder of the corruption that can permeate our justice system when individuals with power abuse their positions for personal gain.
The Justice Department’s commitment to rooting out public corruption and holding those accountable for their actions is unwavering.