Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Campaign Fundraising Scheme

A Virginia man pleaded guilty today to illegally making conduit contributions to a candidate seeking federal office.

Jerry Pierce-Santos, 50, of Vienna, Va., pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Alan Kay in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a single-count criminal information that charged him with making $17,000 in conduit contributions to a candidate seeking election to federal office during the 2003 calendar year. According to court documents, conduit contributions are illegal campaign contributions made by one person in the name of another person.

According to court documents, during the 2003 calendar year, Pierce-Santos agreed with 10 other individuals that he would use them to make a contribution to a candidate seeking federal office by reimbursing them for some or all of contributions they would make to the candidate he was supporting. Specifically, according to plea documents, Pierce-Santos reimbursed seven people $2,000 and three people $1,000 for their contributions. In 2003 the individual contribution limit was $2,000 for a candidate seeking election to federal office.

At sentencing, Pierce-Santos faces up to two years in prison, three years supervised release following his incarceration and a statute-mandated $50,000 fine.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Peter M. Koski and Kevin O. Driscoll of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, which is headed by Chief William M. Welch II. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Plea Agreement

Factual Basis