Former DCPS Contract Specialist Sentenced in Bribery and Procurement Fraud Case
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Dana Garnett, a former District of Columbia Public Schools contract specialist, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release after a federal jury convicted her in June 2025 of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud. The DOJ said the case involved steering DCPS business to vendors and accepting kickbacks.
According to court documents, Garnett and others falsified purchase orders and certifications for goods that were not delivered or were delivered in lower quantities. Vendor Yelake Meseretu was convicted in September; Patricia Bailey, Donald McWhirter and Duane King pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The DOJ said vendors paid Garnett and Bailey in cash.