Edgar A. Johnson, 59, of Bowie, Md., worked in federal government for nearly 30 years, most recently as director of the Technical Assistance Division at the Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs. He was charged yesterday in U.S. District Court in Washington with one count of honest services wire fraud, a felony, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

Prosecutors allege that Johnson, who left his job in December 2007 earning $121,000 per year, plus benefits, as a GS-15 employee, used his position to get bribes from businesses seeking deals with the Virgin Islands. On Aug. 21, 2007, Johnson accepted $10,000 in exchange for introducing unnamed business leaders to senior officials in Virgin Islands government, "so those individuals could pitch insurance business to the government officials," according to court documents.