Prosecutor: Ex-detective took bribes for most of Norfolk career

NORFOLK

Federal prosecutors now say that retired Norfolk homicide detective Robert Glenn Ford took cash from criminals throughout most of his career, and not just the last five years, as charged in an indictment.

The prosecutors on Thursday asked U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Friedman to allow them to use evidence of alleged prior misdeeds at Ford's upcoming corruption trial. Ford's lawyer strongly objected and the judge appeared skeptical.

The trial is set for Oct. 19. Ford faces four counts of extortion and one count of lying to the FBI.

He is not accused of corrupting any of the 200 or so homicide cases he investigated in his career, despite evidence unearthed by lawyers and journalists showing that Ford coerced confessions out of murder suspects, later found to be innocent, in a handful of cases.

The indictment alleges that between 2003 and 2007, Ford extorted money from eight people, through an intermediary, in exchange for the detective helping them secure bond, testifying on their behalf or persuad ing judges and prosecutors to reduce their sentences.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa O'Boyle told Friedman that more witnesses have come forward with stories dating back 20 years of paying cash to Ford.

Ford had been on the Norfolk police force for about 30 years before retiring in 2007.

"It is, for all intents and purposes, the exact same scheme," O'Boyle said.

Ford's attorney, Lawrence H. Woodward Jr., balked. He said the evidence largely involves witnesses claiming that Ford helped them get out of traffic tickets. Ford denies those allegations as well, he said.

"It's so radically different, it shouldn't be admitted," Woodward told the judge.

Friedman then turned to O'Boyle and said, "I hope you have something better than parking tickets."

Yes, there were some fixed traffic tickets, O'Boyle told the judge. But she also recounted one case in which, she said, Ford helped a defendant in an assault case get probation instead of jail after the detective received hundreds of dollars in payola.

O'Boyle also said Ford developed a scheme to split Crime Line reward money with criminals.

"He exploited the informant system for his own financial gain," she said.

The government has never indicated exactly how much Ford allegedly received through extortion schemes. But typically Ford would get $300 to $500 from someone needing help in a criminal case, O'Boyle said, and give up to half to an intermediary who arranged the deal.

In one case, according to papers filed under seal Thursday but discussed in court, Ford received $300 while at a Little League game.

Woodward continued criticizing the new witnesses, saying they came forward only after the Ford case was publicized. The government, he said, has no documentation to back up the statements.

Woodward also wondered aloud why, if the government is so confident of this new information, "they didn't indict Mr. Ford on that."

O'Boyle didn't respond directly. After the hearing, she and a co-prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury, declined to comment.

Friedman said he would rule before the start of the trial.

Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com