William Alberto Campos-Escobar, 42, of Hyattsville, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to federal bribery conspiracy charges tied to his time as a Prince George’s County Councilman and Maryland State Delegate. The guilty plea, entered under seal on January 5, 2017, and unsealed today, exposes a calculated scheme in which Campos traded public grants for cash — betraying the trust of the constituents he was sworn to serve.
Campos, once an elected voice for District 2 in Prince George’s County, exploited a program that allowed council members to award $100,000 in grant funds to nonprofit organizations. Instead of using the funds for public good, he turned them into a pipeline for personal profit. According to court documents, on December 21, 2012, Campos accepted $3,000 in cash from a cooperating witness in exchange for arranging a $5,000 county grant to a nonprofit — with the understanding the money would be shared.
The corruption didn’t stop there. On July 25, 2013, Campos took another $3,000 in cash during a meeting where he openly requested an ‘advance’ before a vacation. He directed the cooperator to identify nonprofits that could act as fronts, allowing public money to be funneled into private pockets. These weren’t desperate acts — they were part of a pattern of calculated graft.
Federal agents closed in using an undercover FBI employee posing as a businessman seeking to expand into the county. On November 15, 2013, the undercover employee collected a $5,000 county grant check made out to a fabricated nonprofit. Campos didn’t balk — he leaned in, later asking the agent to make a $2,000 campaign contribution to another politician, further blurring the lines between public duty and private gain.
“This undercover investigation did not involve an isolated instance of misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “It exposed a longstanding practice of giving away taxpayer money in exchange for bribes.” He stressed that unchecked discretion, without oversight, creates fertile ground for corruption — a warning shot to other officials operating in the shadows.
“A public servant must uphold public trust. You cannot use public service for your own personal gain,” said FBI Special Agent Gordon B. Johnson. The IRS and Prince George’s County Police joined the takedown, underscoring a multi-agency commitment to rooting out corruption. “Status as a political leader will not protect you from federal prosecution,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of IRS-CI added. Campos now faces federal sentencing, a fall from power sealed by his own admissions.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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