A federal grand jury subpoena for specific documents relating to former Oxford Police Chief Gary Ford and the now-defunct police department he oversaw was served March 21 to the Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission.
“We’re going to give (the grand jury) every single item requested in that subpoena,” said OPFEC Chairman Bill Dunn. “We’ll (OPFEC) give our full cooperation. Other than that, I can’t say anything else.”
According to the subpoena issued by the United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan, all the requested documents must be delivered to the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Detroit at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 15.
It’s standard practice for federal authorities involved with a grand jury investigation not to reveal its target or publicly comment on the case.
However, based on the documents listed, it appears Ford’s alleged misuse of federal COPS grant funds may be the target of the Grand Jury’s investigation.
A recent investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department into the alleged misuse of federal COPS grant monies concluded there was “no reason to further investigate this matter for criminal wrongdoing,” according to a Feb. 19 letter from Captain Mike McCabe.
The subpoena requested the following documents:
n Copies of all receipts, invoices, contracts, forms submitted by employees to the Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission (formerly the Oxford Emergency Safety Authority) requesting reimbursement (by whatever name or title used) and/or any other documents associated with the expenditures in the following categories, for the years 1994-1999 ? For patrol: office supplies, operating supplies, contracted services, conference and workshops and mileage, meals and lodging. For communications: administration and contracted services.
n A detailed itemized listing of all of the legal cases, lawsuits, or other litigation matters and any other expenditures paid under the category “legal” for the years 1994-1999. The list should include the following information ? For legal actions and court cases: plaintiff and defendant names, nature of case (civil or criminal), plaintiff complaint, claim, grievance, or subject/topic/reason for the lawsuit, dates suit filed and settled, court finding or settlement agreement, total ammount spent on legal fees for each suit, total amount of awards paid out, name of law firm and attorneys who performed services for the commission. For non-lawsuit ependitures: nature, date and total cost of expense, name of law firm and attorneys who performed services for the commission.
n All documents, including but not limited to job descriptions, vacancy announcements, applications and contracts, associated with the full-time administrator and dispatcher positions created in August 1997 and filled by Donna Bossardet and Traci Fox including the following ? statement of the 1997 annual salary or hourly wage, any bonus amounts and actual cost to the department (including benefits) for each position; statement of the total amount (including salary/wage, overtime, bonuses) paid to each of these employees between 1995 and 1999; and statement of the relationship or kinship of all of these employees to any other employees of the police department or the OESA/OPFEC board.
n Statement of the annual starting salary and actual annual cost to the department (including benefits) for a patrol officer position for the years 1996 through 1999.
n Statement of the total amounts paid for salary, overtime, bonuses and addition compensation/perks to Gary Ford for the years 1995 through 1999.
n Copies of Gary Ford’s contracts and all amendments, codicils or attachments thereto.
n Documents related to, or in the absence thereof, a statement of the actual starting date, the annual salary for and the total annual cost to the department for the position of Captain.
n Copies of letters dated January 6, 1998 and January 9, 1998 from Attorney Robert Bunting to (former OESA board member) Gary Thompson and Gary Ford addressing the issue of supplanting.
n All documents relative to Gary Ford’s injury on the job on April 20, 1999 and his subsequent Medical Leave of Absence.
Ford is currently awaiting criminal trial in Oakland County Circuit Court on two felony counts of larcency by conversion involving $2,000 worth of donations to a 1999 police golf outing and one felony count of misconduct in office and a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty, both involving a drunk driving suspect who was released allegedly by Ford’s order because he was a personal friend and police millage supporter.
The ex-chief’s trial is scheduled to begin May 19.