Former employee at DMV office in Columbia charged with taking bribes, SC cops say
A man who used to be a clerk at a state Department of Motor Vehicles office in Columbia was arrested for taking bribes, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Thursday.
Othinell Arthur Jenkins III was charged with three counts of receiving anything of value to influence the action of a public employee, SLED said in a news release.
In return for passing people on various tests offered at a Richland County office, Jenkins accepted money and concert tickets, according to the release.
On March 1, 2021, while working at the DMV office at 228 O’Neil Court, the 25-year-old Jenkins accepted $60 from a customer in return for passing her on tests and issuing her a commercial driver’s license beginner’s permit, an arrest warrant shows. SCDMV said the woman did not “take/complete/pass the CDL combination vehicle, air brakes, nor knowledge test; therefore making her ineligible for the license,” according to the warrant.
About a week later, on March 8, Jenkins accepted concert tickets from another man for passing him on a road test and issuing him a driver’s license, according to another arrest warrant. This man also did not “take/complete/pass” the road test, and was ineligible for the license, the warrant shows.
Information on the number of tickets, and to which performer’s show, was not available.
Again about a month later on April 13, 2021, Jenkins accepted $100 to issue a customer a beginner’s permit, an arrest warrant shows. Jenkins passed the customer on a knowledge test, although the man did not “take/complete/pass” the test, making him ineligible for the license, according to the warrant.
Jenkins was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release.
There was no word how, or when, Jenkins stopped working for the DMV, or what prompted an investigation. DMV asked SLED to investigate Jenkins.
The case will be prosecuted by the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
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This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 11:10 AM.
