A former Democrat congressional staffer for Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison for stealing taxpayer funds.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced Schneider’s ex-staff member, Sterling Devion Carter, to prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors in the case said Carter was “selfishly” stealing public money to “illegally enrich himself.”
However, it could have been a lot worse for the young Democrat because he was also arrested for posing as an FBI agent.
In a court memo, federal prosecutors said: “Instead of taking this responsibility seriously, the defendant decided to selfishly use that responsibility to illegally enrich himself, including using his ill-gotten gains to further his other crimes including through the purchase of a vehicle and a federal firearms license.”
Wild: Sterling Devion Carter, a former aide to Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), faked being an FBI agent, complete with a fake police car&lights, and led law enforcement on nationwide manhunt. Also faked chief of staff signatures to give himself an $80k raise https://t.co/iUX8LXIN4D
— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) August 5, 2022
When Carter plead guilty in April, the Department of Justice said: “A former Congressional staffer pleaded guilty today to theft of public funds in connection with his scheme to fraudulently inflate his salary and bonus payments, thereby paying himself more than he was legitimately owed.
“According to court documents, Sterling Carter, 24, of Glenwood, Georgia, was employed as the Director of Operations by a Member of Congress.
“In that position, Carter was responsible for managing the office’s budget and processing payroll and bonus payments for all employees in the office.
“Between November 2019 and January 2021, Carter submitted fraudulent paperwork which purported to authorize a higher salary and bonus payments for himself.
“Carter concealed this theft from the Congressperson and the office’s Chief of Staff by falsely representing, in both communications and a budget spreadsheet, that he was only being paid what he was legitimately owed.
“In total, Carter received $79,491.67 in unauthorized salary and bonus payments.
“Carter pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to the theft of public funds.
“Carter will be sentenced on July 28 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
“A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
“The FBI investigated this matter. Trial Attorneys Nicole Lockhart and Jordan Dickson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case,” DOJ said.
“Y’all know President Biden loves locking Black people up, and y’all just helped him!”
— @cthagod roasts PPP scammers after President Biden signed two bills to give the Justice Department up to 10 years to investigate and prosecute them. pic.twitter.com/nAUe4HueMx
— The Recount (@therecount) August 8, 2022
