Former District of Columbia Public Schools Vendor Found Guilty in Bribery and Kickback Scheme

Defendant Conspired to Overcharge DCPS for Under-Delivered Goods

WASHINGTON (September 24, 2025) – Yelake Meseretu, 41, a former vendor whose company supplied goods to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for his role in a conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud that involved illegal kickbacks that Meseretu paid to two DCPS officials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Following a four-and-a-half-day trial, the jury deliberated eight hours before finding Meseretu guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate federal law, one count of bribery, and one count of honest services wire fraud. 

U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2026. Meseretu faces up to 15 years in prison.

Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.

According to evidence presented at trial, Meseretu, owned U.S. Office Solutions, a local office goods and janitorial supply company that did millions of dollars per year in business with DCPS. Over the course of at least five years, Meseretu paid bribes and kickbacks to two DCPS procurement officials. In exchange, the two DCPS officials steered lucrative business and contracts to Meseretu’s company. 

As part of the scheme, Meseretu also agreed to defraud DCPS by delivering significantly fewer quantities of supplies on certain orders submitted by DCPS. In coordination with his two DCPS insiders, Meseretu generated falsified paperwork for supply orders that inflated the number of goods on certain orders. Meseretu’s business shorted the orders by delivering a lesser amount of goods than the amount listed on these orders. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of the DCPS officials, DCPS paid Meseretu the full amount of the orders as if the deliveries had been completed in full. Meseretu split the overpayment with the DCPS officials by paying them cash kickbacks.  

In addition to Garnett’s conviction following a jury trial, Patricia Bailey, a former administrative officer for DCPS’s Cardozo Education Campus, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2023, to one count of bribery for her participation in the scheme.

Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
                        
This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.