Photo 21558304 © Julie Feinstein | Dreamstime.com

Ex-dc public safety official admits to bribery scheme involving city contracts — Photo 21558304 © Julie Feinstein | Dreamstime.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Deputy Director at the District of Columbia’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) pleaded guilty Friday to accepting at least $10,000 in bribes to steer contracts and grants to businesses tied to a Maryland resident, federal prosecutors announced.

Dana McDaniel, 44, of Washington, D.C., admitted to using her senior position at ONSE to direct public funds toward two D.C.-based companies connected to the individual who paid her in cash.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said McDaniel served in her ONSE role from January 2020 to April 2023, overseeing programs such as the Violence Intervention (VI) Initiative, which aimed to reduce gun-related violence in the city.

According to court filings, McDaniel began accepting payments before September 2022 and continued through at least August 2024. The businesses that benefited from the bribery included one that marketed itself as a community-based initiative for high-risk youth and adults, and another that provided services under ONSE’s VI initiative in Ward 5.

“McDaniel accepted at least $10,000 in cash to direct contracts and grants to company,” federal authorities stated in the release.

U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for August 6, 2025. McDaniel faces up to 15 years in prison.

The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the IRS Criminal Investigations Division, and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.

Key Points:

Dana McDaniel, former ONSE Deputy Director, pleaded guilty to accepting at least $10,000 in bribes
She directed city contracts to companies linked to a Maryland resident from 2022 through 2024
McDaniel faces up to 15 years in prison and will be sentenced in August

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.