RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Three individuals have pleaded guilty to a conspiracy of bribery involving a public official, according to the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Susan May Keim, 54, of Hopewell, was sentenced to 30 months in prison along with her partner Russell John Keim Sr., 60, who was sentenced to 18 months. Rodney Gale Wilson, 67, of Imperial, Missouri, has been ordered to serve 45 months.
The three were first charged in July 2021 and arraigned later in August of that year.
From June 2013 to October 2018, both Susan and Russell Keim are said to have accepted bribes from Wilson in return for Susan Keim’s award of purchase orders to Wilson’s company. These purchases would then allow for the selling of parts and materials to United States Army Garrison Fort Gregg-Adams, formerly known as Fort Lee, according to court documents.
Susan Keim worked for a company named Skookum Educational Services, which was contracted with the federal government to provide maintenance and supply services at Fort Gregg-Adams. Under this contract, the government reimbursed the company for the cost of supplies it had purchased.
Wilson was the owner of C&L Supply, a company whose sole purpose was to sell supplies to Skookum Educational Services for use at the military command post.
Court documents revealed that C&L Supply had sometimes sold supplies to Skookum Educational Services at a substantial markup — or with prices that were higher than the actual worth of the items. These costs were passed on to the federal government.
From 2013 to 2018, Wilson received purchase orders worth more than $900,000 and in return provided checks and cash payments to both Susan and Russell Keim disguised as compensation for work Russell Keim purportedly performed for C&L Supply and payments for work done on a property owned by the Keims.
As a result, Susan and Russell Keim and Rodney Wilson were convicted of conspiracy to offer bribes to a public official and to accept bribes as a public official.
