The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.

White, a native of the district, has been representing Ward 8 since 2017, and won the Democratic primary in June for a third term. Many of the 87,043 residents have below-median income and need public services.

White is chairman of the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs.

Beginning in June according to the complaint, White agreed to accept the $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position as a D.C. council member to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend several D.C. contracts, prosecutors allege.

The contracts, which were valued at $5.2 million, were for two companies to provide Violence Intervention services in the district.

White allegedly agreed to accept $156,000 on four occasions “in exchange for using his official position to pressure renewal of those contracts to particular companies was three percent of the total contract value,” according to prosecutors in a news release.

White’s agreement was captured on video, showing his 3% cut of the contracts, officials said.

The alleged payments were June 26, July 17, July 25, and Aug. 9.

“Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating,” District of Columbia District Attorney Matthew M. Graves said.

The FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office helped investigate.