Former Division of Highways employee admits guilt in pay-to-play scheme

Topics:  Bruce E. Kenney III

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of West Virginia
12 December 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Bruce E. Kenney, III, 60, of Norfolk, Virginia, pled guilty in federal court today to wire and tax fraud charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.

Kenney admitted today that he used his position in the Traffic Engineering Division of the West Virginia Division of Highways to bypass normal state procedures and funnel structure inspection work to the Dennis Corporation in exchange for covert payments totaling approximately $200,000. He entered a guilty plea to one count of “Honest Services Wire Fraud Conspiracy,” and also to one count of “Conspiracy to Impede the Internal Revenue Service.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Sarah W. Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Corruption Unit, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the West Virginia State Police.

Citizens with information regarding public corruption in their community are encouraged to call the West Virginia Public Corruption Hotline at 855-WVA-FEDS (855-982-3337), or to send an email to wvafeds@usdoj.gov.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.