Potomac Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Conflict of Interest

On Monday, a Potomac resident pleaded guilty to charges of criminal conflict of interest and making a false statement to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, after neglecting to disclose compensation received in 2006.

Jeffrey Ross Williams, a 51-year-old Potomac attorney, worked at the CPSC from September 2005 to March 2008 where he held two different positions. In addition to his full-time jobs at the CPSC, Williams was the managing partner at the Williams Law Firm — a job he never disclosed in federal finance forms, according to information the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland released about the case.

The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland originally 

While working with his outside law firm, a foreign corporation paid Williams about $48,000 for his work to help the corporation supply the U.S. Army with batteries for armored personnel carriers, according to the release.

However, Williams did not report his law firm as a source of income on his financial disclosure reports for calendar years 2005 and 2006.

Also, Williams never mentioned he had an outside position with the firm — a piece of information that he is required to disclose. The information was also vital to ethics officials, especially since Williams' interactions involved federal government agencies, according to the release.

Williams faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the two counts against him, according to the release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled Williams’ sentencing for June 13 at 9:30 a.m.