Yelake Meseretu, 41, a former vendor for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was convicted by a federal jury on charges related to bribery and wire fraud. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
After a trial lasting four and a half days, the jury deliberated for eight hours before finding Meseretu guilty of conspiracy to violate federal law, bribery, and honest services wire fraud. Sentencing is set for February 6, 2026, with Meseretu facing up to 15 years in prison.
The case was announced jointly with FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Meseretu owned U.S. Office Solutions, which supplied office goods and janitorial products to DCPS and generated millions in annual business with the school system. Over at least five years, Meseretu paid bribes and kickbacks to two procurement officials within DCPS who directed contracts toward his company.
Meseretu also conspired to defraud DCPS by delivering fewer supplies than ordered while submitting falsified paperwork that overstated delivery quantities. With cooperation from DCPS insiders, he created false certifications indicating full deliveries had been made; as a result, DCPS paid the full order amounts despite incomplete deliveries. The overpayments were then split between Meseretu and the officials through cash kickbacks.
In addition to Meseretu’s conviction after trial, Patricia Bailey—a former administrative officer at Cardozo Education Campus—pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023, to one count of bribery related to her role in the scheme. Sentencing is pending for all three defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with this case.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert are prosecuting the case from the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
“This verdict demonstrates our commitment to rooting out corruption wherever it exists,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
