A federal jury has found former District of Columbia Public Schools contract specialist Dana Garnett guilty on nine counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery stemming from a multi-year kickback scheme. Garnett, 61, of Hyattsville, Maryland, faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison following the verdict in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors said that from June 2019 through at least August 2023, Garnett steered inflated or fictitious supply orders to favored vendors, who then shortchanged deliveries while DCPS paid the full invoices. The vendors allegedly handed Garnett cash kickbacks in parking lots around Washington and Maryland; evidence showed she used some of the proceeds for gambling and to buy a major household appliance. Three vendors and a former school administrator have already pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme, and a fourth defendant awaits trial. The investigation was led by the FBI and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, with the case prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.