Former Peace Corps employee faces wire fraud, theft charges

SILVER SPRING, Md. (DC News Now) — A former senior human resources employee for the Peace Corps was charged Wednesday with wire fraud, theft of government funds and making false statements to federal agents.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) said 64-year-old Evester Edd, of Silver Spring, schemed to defraud the government out of thousands of dollars by working as a federal employee and contractor at the same time.

He worked for the U.S. Peace Corps (USPC) as a Human Resources Specialist, Employee Labor Relations Expert from 2018 until his suspension in November 2024.

Starting in or around 2023, he began contracting for outside agencies, including the Federal Housing and Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), according to court documents obtained by DC News Now.

Edd reportedly submitted time sheets to at least three different federal agencies for overlapping periods of time, essentially double-billing the United States for tens of thousands of dollars, the USAO detailed.

He is also accused of making false statements. When completing documentation for security clearance, for example, he reportedly misrepresented his relationship with some Nepalese women living in Canada and Nepal, according to court documents. He was also dishonest during an interview with federal agents about the online accounts he created, actions he took and money he sent to the women in exchange for nude images.

If convicted on the charges handed down against him, Edd could spend decades in prison, face significant fines, and/or pay restitution, according to the USAO.