Memphis Democrat Surrenders to FBI over Indictment Claiming He Profited from Federal Grant Money

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. on Friday voluntarily surrendered to the FBI after he was indicted with bribery and tax evasion over a 2019 scheme that allegedly involved the Democratic politician being paid to consult for three nonprofits that sought access to federal grant money distributed by Shelby County.

Three instances of Ford (pictured above) engaging in such behavior are detailed in the federal indictment, the result of a grand jury which was made public Friday, claim that nonprofit organizations either paid Ford directly or through his businesses, E&J Computer Services and Repair and Precise Solutions and Consulting, to obtain access to federal money.

The first allegation occurred in 2018, when Ford was a member of the Memphis City Council, and allegedly increased a nonprofit’s grant from $60,000 to $95,000, only to receive $30,000 from the company through a mixture of direct payments and payments to his consulting company.

Ford is next alleged in 2019 to have amended a grant destined to a nonprofit from $25,000 to $46,000, before his technology company received $20,000 as compensation for 30 laptop computers.

In 2020, Ford is alleged to have helped a nonprofit secure a $28,500 grant, then to have received $15,000 routed through another business.

Prosecutors charged Ford with one count of soliciting and receiving bribes for the payments he allegedly received from the nonprofit organizations, with prosecutors charging the commissioner under a special law designed to punish those involved in bribery or theft of federal money. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison or a fine.

He was charged with six additional counts of tax evasion, with prosecutors alleging Ford under reported income from his businesses, overstated tax deductions based on fake donations, and allegedly lied to federal agents over his involvement in the scheme in 2023. Ford faces up to five years in prison and a fine if convicted.

The alleged ethical lapses by Ford were first reported by The Commercial Appeal in 2020, with the commission announcing an investigation that resulted in a special prosecutor whose investigation remains ongoing.

According to the outlet, the FBI executed a search warrant at Ford’s home in 2023. He reportedly shares the home with his father, Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford Sr.

Ford is the latest Memphis politician facing legal or professional challenges.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert is facing an attempted ouster that began last year over her alleged continuous failure to manage her office and its finances, while Shelby County Judge Bill Anderson announced plans to resign after State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) filed complaints alleging he failed to follow new state laws restricting bail.

District Attorney Steve Mulroy is additionally facing an attempted ouster from the General Assembly after Taylor filed a resolution citing nine reasons for his removal.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to pappert.tom@proton.
Photo “Edmund Ford, Jr” by Shelby County Board of Commissioners.