Wendell Ford Not Guilty
in Loot Case
 Latest Prosecution in Loot Stolen by Deputies Cost Taxpayers More Than $30,000
--- Fritz dodged charging Capt. Crook who gave loot to his pal and stepson
--- Zylak never brought charges or fired Capt. Crook
--- Over objection of Larry Jarboe, St. Mary's Commissioners paid latest bill for retaliatory prosecution of Wendell Ford
--- Not a single crooked cop has been charged even though many were given building supplies stolen from secure Sheriff's evidence storage
Judge Raley Hears Case,
Rules Not Guilty
by Kenneth C. Rossignol
ST. MARY'S TODAY
Leonardtown --- Jan. 12, 2005 --- As first reported in ST. MARY'S TODAY, the infamous Loot Scandal involving the St. Mary's Sheriff's Department and St. Mary's States Attorney Richard Fritz which has been twisting and turning in Leonardtown since first revealed on our front page in June of 2002, has resulted in a not guilty verdict for Wendell Ford.
The latest round of charges brought against Ford, 38, for allegedly stealing building materials, after the police stole the same building materials from the secure locked storage of the St. Mary's Sheriff's Dept. were tried today, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005 by St. Mary's Circuit Court Judge C. Clarke Raley.
Raley heard the case brought by special prosecutor Robert Moreland, who was appointed to review a previous criminal charge against Ford which had been dropped earlier by St. Mary's States Attorney Richard Fritz. 
A tractor trailer load of loot had been stolen from the Sheriff's lockup and when criminal charges against Ford were dropped by Fritz in October of 2000, District Court Judge John Slade in March of 2002 ordered the property returned to Ford. 
When Ford and his attorney, Shane Mattingly, of Leonardtown, persisted in obtaining the property, it was discovered the property was missing.  The State Prosecutor found that the Assistant Sheriff, Steven Doolan, had ordered the property released to his stepson and Doolan's pal.   Some of the property was returned and new charges of theft were placed against Ford, not Doolan.  Threatened with being fired by Zylak after Zylak had been losing public support for his failure to act, Doolan suddenly retired this past spring.  St. Mary's States Attorney Richard Fritz never placed charges against Doolan, as Doolan's wife is Fritz's campaign treasurer.  
The latest charges against Ford were in retaliation for his filing suit against St. Mary's County seeking to have his property returned and for damages suffered by him during the course of several retaliatory actions taken by police including a raid on his house which failed to produce drugs and where his 9 year old daughter was handcuffed by masked cops armed with guns.  In addition, Ford was strip searched in a public place and $5,000 in cash taken from him illegally, which was later returned.  Ford's attorney in the property case, Michael Suessmann, of Leonardtown, called the not guilty finding a vindication of his client. Suessman did point out that the case shows the wisdom of Judge Slade's decision which took place three years ago and that the cost for Ford of defending himself against retaliatory charges brought only because he sought return of his property has not only cost Ford money but the taxpayers as well.
'We look forward to having our day in court to show the public the misconduct and incompetence on the part of the Sheriff's office which has so damaged Mr. Ford over the past several years," said Suessmann.
Two weeks ago, St. Mary's Commissioner Larry Jarboe balked at a routine approval of the cost of the prosecution and called it a waste of taxpayers money.  Judge Raley's ruling today shows that not only was Judge Slade right, but so is Commissioner Jarboe.  The message from the voters last March 2nd when Fritz was soundly defeated when he attempted to oust Circuit Court Judge Karen Abrams today reverberated through Leonardtown with Judge Raley's not guilty verdict for Ford.  Moreland will submit another bill for another $10,000 on top of the $25,000 he has already been paid and the county will now have to pay Ford perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars, all due to the actions of those who wanted to cover up for crooked deputies who stole a tractor trailer load of building materials.  Which now begs the question to St. Mary's Sheriff David Zylak:
Where is the loot?
See stories and cartoons on:
Where is the Loot?

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