Current sheriff says records are incomplete
Chilton said an internal system shows the badge was issued in 2020, but it does not show who authorized or created the ID.
“This was during, you know, during a difficult time for the office a few years back,” he said.
On Monday, Chilton said, the clerk of court found a record showing Homan was sworn in in 2020. The record included Jenkins’ signature on the appointment.
Chilton said there is no indication in Culpeper County records that Homan ever trained, worked or volunteered in Culpeper County.
Jenkins was convicted then pardoned by Trump
Jenkins was convicted in federal court in 2024 of giving badges to three Northern Virginia businessmen in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. The businessmen also were convicted.
They were the only three people charged, though the I-Team was able to find records of dozens of badges issued to outsiders while Jenkins was sheriff.
Court records from Jenkins’ bribery case show that from 2020 to 2022, Jenkins was accused of taking bribes and giving badges in return.
Jenkins was pardoned by Trump last May, just before his decade-long federal sentence was set to begin.
During News4’s review of court documents and coverage of the trial, Homan was never implicated or mentioned in court documents or testimony.
Chilton said Homan’s name also did not appear on any list of badges or law enforcement identification issued by Culpeper County.
Homan’s name also was not in court documents listing who was issued a badge that News4 reviewed years ago at the Culpeper County courthouse.
White House says Homan never worked for Culpeper
A White House official told the I-Team that Homan knew Jenkins from “several events.”
The official said Homan asked Jenkins to use the Culpeper sheriff’s range to pass a legally required firearms test. Jenkins agreed, according to the official, and offered to make Homan a reserve deputy to help advise the sheriff on the 287(g) program and how the office could better partner with ICE, the official said.
Homan said yes and was sworn in, but the official said he never worked for Culpeper County.
The White House said Homan “wasn’t aware of any allegations/rumors of the Sheriff accepting bribes.”
Asked by News4 how many Culpeper County sheriff’s badges may have been issued to people who were not full-time or part-time employees of the department, Chilton said he does not know.
“Unfortunately, I don’t even know, and I don’t think we’ll ever know,” he said.
Last year, Homan was the subject of a federal bribery investigation unrelated to Culpeper County. No charges were filed, and the investigation was later closed after prosecutors determined there was not sufficient evidence to move forward.
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