Former Harford County Sheriff’s Office Major Mark Forwood was sentenced to 18 months in Baltimore County jail Wednesday on charges of theft and misconduct in office, the closing act in a nearly year-long investigation into the county’s once-top investigator.
Forwood was sentenced to six years in prison with all but 18 months suspended, to be served in the Baltimore County Detention Center, on a felony charge of theft between $1,000 and $10,000 and a misdemeanor charge of improper conduct in office, according to court records. He will also face three years of supervised probation following his release.
Forwood on Monday pled guilty in Harford County District Court to a charge of theft under $1,000 in connection with a second incident in late November in which he was accused of shoplifting from Home Depot in Bel Air. He was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in jail on that charge, with all but six suspended. Those six months will be served concurrently with his prison term in the other case, according to court records.
Gus Brown, Forwood’s attorney, explained the sentences handed down to his client:
“An opportunity arose today to get all his charges resolved. He pled guilty to the Circuit Court charges of theft and misconduct in office. Judge Emory Plitt accepted the plea this morning and sentenced Forwood to 6 years in the [Department of Corrections] with all but 18 months suspended. He is ordered to serve the 18 months time at the Baltimore County Detention Center. He has friends and colleagues in the Harford County Detention Center, so the judge didn’t want anyone doing Forwood favors or being harder on him than other inmates. He allowed work release or home detention in the future but that’s up to the [Baltimore] County regulations. The Judge cannot order it be granted.”
“In the District Court case in Harford County for shoplifting, Judge Hazlett imposed a sentence of 18 months with all but 6 months suspended and will allow him to serve it in Baltimore County while he’s serving Judge Plitt’s sentence. Some think that this is not an additional sentence to serve it concurrently with the first sentence – but although that’s in part correct, the additional time makes him at risk to significant additional time if he violates probation and it enhances an additional sentence should he ever be so foolish as to violate the law again.”
“He is and has been in intensive psychological treatment for sever depression and ptsd.” You can visit Discovermagazine.com if you are interested on how CBD can help you in your life. Some scientific studies confirming it may ease symptoms of ailments like chronic pain and anxiety.
Forwood is scheduled to begin serving his term at noon on Thursday. He will be eligible for home detention and work release.
As part of the judgment against him Forwood was ordered to pay $5,269.00 in restitution to Home Depot and an additional $3,246.65 to Best Buy.
The Dagger first reported in April that the veteran officer had been suspended with pay pending an investigation into then-undisclosed offenses. He was formally charged with the more serious theft count and misconduct in office on Nov. 1, the day before Sheriff Jesse Bane, who hand-picked him to head the department’s investigative unit, won re-election in the general election.
Forwood was fired Nov. 30, two days after he was arrested for stealing items from the Home Depot store in Bel Air.
Eligible for Home Detention! If that’s the case he could have just as well been sentenced to the Harford County Detention Center, but Oh My we wouldn’t want to embarrass Forwood by having him be booked and processed by the Harford County Deputies at our Detention Center. Either way we will be able to see Forwood sit on his porch this summer should he care to show his face!!
Just finished reading the Aegis for Feb 4. Forwood is already on home detention (starting first day of his sentence) where he will probably remain until he completes his sentence. I stand by my statement that he will be sitting on his porch this summer!! And it is only a matter of time before he starts collecting that $49,000 per year retirement!
We all have fell short from the grace of God. He who has not sin, case the first stone. Judge not and you shall not be judged. He was very wrong and used poor judgement. Something had to be mentally wrong with Forwood, because he above all people know, You can not get away with committing a crime. No matter how long the investigation takes you will be capture. I feel sorry for his family and him. He need support from his family and friends. We should not knock him down to the ground. He has to feel worthless at this moment. He is empty inside, hollow, lost, not because he has been caught, it’s because, he has let himself down and everyone around down. We all have a dark side. Learn to pray, forgive, and most of all forget.I will pray for him and his family. He has to hold his head down for the rest of his life. People are easy to judge each other. Men and women God place us here to help and pray for each other, even when someone does wrong. Forwood I love you and God love you to. Turn to God Forwood, because humane will let you down always but Jesus will not. Jesus is always standing by.Someone cares retired Deputy Monroe, cares Jesus has help me and he still does.
Good post Deb.
you said it monroe
Nice thought Deb, but Forwood doesn’t need God, he has Bane in his corner! Stealing from Best Buy, stealing from Home Depot, Stealing child images from police cases, being paid full salary and keeping his job so Bane can win the election, and then stealing some more from Home Depot! The result, at 18 month “time out” to play on the Internet and do some more image searching! But wait, we’re not done yet. You wait and see if he does not end up with a full disability pension, that is 66.6% of his income TAX FREE for the rest of his life. Bane will ensure it happens that way, so hopefully God will be looking out for the rest of us!
Lets also thank David Craig & the Harford County Deputies Union for the election of liberal tax and spend Jesse Bane. Without the Union Money and Union Manpower, Jesse Bane would have been toast.
And had Gahler not gotten in bed with the Walters he probably would’ve won. He lost a lot of potential support from within the HCSO because of them. I doubt he would’ve gotten the union endorsement, but he would’ve had enough support from deputies to have won the general election. I’m also pretty sure that some of the extreme nastiness exhibited by some Gahler supporters (or Bane opponents at least) on here turned off quite a few people.
I doubt it Henry. Bane was well entrenched and kept his dirt hidden. Had this stuff broke earlier, Gahler would have won with or without the Walters and with or without the Union. With his new actions (promotions and retributions) as well as his association and protection of Forwood, Bane couldn’t beat an egg now.
PTSD is a serious condition suffered by many police and first responders. Mark and his family need to be in our prayers. The last thing he needs is for the people he worked with is to have them turn their backs on him. He is paying the penalty for what he did. What he did was wrong, he is paying the price. Now instead of nasty comments, forgive him and forget. No one regrets this more then Mark.
Marc Eaton Retired Deputy Sheriff Harford County. (Retired with PTSD)
Retiredcop,
It is obvious to anyone that Mark had a psychological issue. His salary was well over 100K. He could buy most anything with ease.
99.9% of the police out there don’t commit crimes. It is these types of incidents that tarnish the good names of all other officers. The trust with the community was broken. Now, that being said his case is even more difficult to figure out because he was such a quiet man with a non-confrontational attitude. (That is why the Sheriff made him a Major. Mark was a yes man to him.)
He must have had a self-destructive side to his personality. I don’t quite buy the PTSD as a defense. (Unless Bane drove him nuts behind the scenes) There would be many others out there that would qualify for that over Mark. I will pray for his family and hope Mark receives the help he needs to return to society as a productive person.
Here’s a couple things I don’t understand;
How is PTSD even remotely (except in court)related to shop lifting and theft? If so, home come Winona Ryder didn’t use it in her defense?
Second, we have a cut and dried case against this guy that ends in a complete confession that takes an election year end to complete. He admits to stealing about $8500 dollars after bilking the Harford County tax payers over a $100,000 in pay and benefits for a year in a case where the evidence was so overwhelming that if it were anyone else but Bane’s top cop in an election year he would have been suspended without pay.
Incarcerated thieves everywhere must be scratching their heads on this one. Steal $8500 dollars; get paid $100,000 awaiting a confession; get home detention and work release; and your boss gets re-elcted. The only thing missing is a gift card from Home Depot.
Totally agree with Al, what PTSD did he face? What a joke.
And I am sure when he gets out of jail his pension checks will be waiting for him.
As Al said, $8500 in goods stolen and still being paid $100k until he was let go ….. and now probably collecting a pension. Anyone else would have been put away for longer.
Never said it was an excuse Al J Thong……he confessed is in jail and paying for his crime. Go spend a day in court and watch how many probation before judgements, suspended sentences, work release and home detentions are handed out. No matter where he is processed he will be humiliated about this.
He was suspended with pay until he was charged. I found out later that this is the way it works. Read up on Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights. As much as I hate to say this it has nothing to do with Bane, this is every law enforcement agency. Some cases take several years to clear up. This was known about during the election, no one tried to hide it.
And are you an expert on PTSD? Do some reading before making a statement. PTSD changes a person.
Do you know the things police officers see? When you go home at the end of your day from what ever job you do, can you shut down like a normal person. Try dealing with a 18 year old kids suicide and then with his distraught family for hours and then go home and try to close your eyes and sleep without that days events running through your head. That is just one incident, take that times 22 to 25 years and lets see how you change and deal with things. You all think that a police officer puts on that uniform and becomes super man and when he goes home and takes it off it all goes away. Well guess what it doesn’t. Do you tell your wife what you saw that day, suicides, murders, fatal car crashes. Or that you sat in the Baltimore City Morgue and watched yet another autopsy while six other autopsies went on around you. That you saw a small child who drowned laying on a table next to you. Deal with this crap day in and day out and see if you just might do something you would not normally do.
Look us statistics on suicides by police officers who suffer from this. You watch your police shows on tv and all cases are solved in one hour. The make believe world is much more sterile then the real world the police deal with. Until you have walked in the shoes of any police officer you do not have the right to judge any of them!
Winona Ryder did not have PTSD.
Do you know Mark? I do, what he did is totally out of character for him. I worked with him and know he is a good man. Unlike the common criminals you speak of scratching their heads, Mark owned up to it and accepted his punishment. Think before you speak. I think no less of Mark, he owned up and is doing his time.
Retired Cop. Are you saying that the things Forwood observed during his time in the HCSO caused him to devise a theft scheme and then carry it out? You agree that Forwood takes responsibility for his criminal actions, however, you seem to try and make a case that his time in the HCSO led to his criminal behavior.
Mark had money, what he did was totally out of character for him. Something happened to make him break the law and break his oath to uphold the law. If he was a bad egg he would have been bad from day one. Something happened. Again, do some reading about PTSD and then ask me the question again. If his PTSD did cause him to make some poor decisions it still does not justify what he did and he should be punished. This does not give him a get out of jail free card. Home detention or doing time in jail what is the difference. Many convictions for crimes result in home detention.
Politics has nothing to do with this. Bane is incompetent as a Sheriff and is destroying the department. What Mark did has nothing to do with Bane. in my time at the Sheriff’s Office Mark is the first one that I know of to be charged and convicted and sent to jail. So I think instead of dwelling on Mark, and Bane take a look at the many other people who work at the Sheriff’s Office. They do outstanding work.
Retiredcop. Let me respond to your comments.
Everyone who commits crime for the first time was a good egg until that happened. What caused them to commit crime is different for each.
You say something happened to Forwood to make him do this. OK, but why should we believe it was something that Forwood had no control over. I am not uneducated with regard to PTSD, but I do not concur that it would apply in Forwood’s case.
You comment that being on home detentionn is no different than being in jail. I know, that you know, there is a huge difference between the two. Statements from you like that is what gives me pause that you are not being up front in your comments here.
You state that politics has nothing to do with this. You are correct, politics had nothing to do with the crimes Forwood committed, however politics had everything to do with how his case was handled. Sheriff Bane and those that supported him did what they thought was in their best interest. Bane’s re-election is proof that they were correct.
Do I believe that the HCSO is made up of mainly good people. Of course I do, however both you and I know that there are some folks in the HCSO who are not so great. To dismiss that fact and only talk of the good folks is, in my view, not being up front.
You made a previous statement that Forwood lost his retirement, “read the article” you said. There was nothing in the article about Forwood losing his retirement. I truly believe you understand what “vested” means regarding the retirement program, so you know that Forwood will be able to receive his retirement, just not immediately.
Perhaps you and Forwood were/are friends. I wish nothing but the best for Forwood in his future. Should I see him on the street I would greet him and tell him so. But no excuses for what he has done, and I mean NO excuses.
Metal stones, he lost his pension. Again, read the article before you speak.
I can’t seem to find that part of the story. Where is it?
@RetiredCop. I read the article and could find no mention of Forwood losing his retirement. You know full well that Forwood will be able to receive his retirement, although not immediately, as he did not attain the required 25 years or required age if less than 25 years service. He just has to wait until he attains the required age. Please do not mislead people.
In one of your earlier posts you requested that people forgive and forget. No need to forgive Forwood, he is being punished for his criminal activity, however, forget – you can’t really be serious. Think about it, you remember all of the crap that occurred when you were a Deputy. Do I wish Forwood a good and decent life after he completes his sentence, sure, but forget, I think not!
Metal Stones, you do not face PTSD you fool. Typical you think cops ride around in cars and hand out speeding tickets.
I would love to see the Dagger do some research on PTSD and report on this. Maybe some of the people on here would understand just what PTSD is.
Taxpayers
This is typical Harford County politics. David Craig, Billy Boniface, McMahon will all go out of their way to protect Jesse Bane. Jesse Bane has clearly protected Forwood every step of the way at Harford County Taxpayer expense.
The more you post the more preposterous you get. This had very little to do with politics. He broke the law, plead guilty, and was sentenced. Eighteen months in jail for an ex-cop is no picnic. I have no symphathy for him, but I feel for his family. Maybe it’s time for you and the other nasty posters here to let it go.
Rob in Bel Air. You can join Forwood when the weather turns warmer and have that picnic with him in his back yard since he is on home detention from day one to serve his sentence. Read tomorrows Aegis.
Hey, relaxing at home and watching porn on the internet ain’t so bad if you have to serve 18 months. According to the Aegis, Judge Plitt says he can’t watch anymore child porn!!
Why are so many here angry? He disappointed many people, but he plead guilty and is now serving an 18 month sentence. In reality, he has lost much more than 18 months of his life . . . it’s time to move on.
Why do you believe people are angry? What has been said that is nasty? You said in a previous post that the Forwood issue had “very little to do with politics”, did you mean nothing to do with politics?
Well said Rob.
Retired Cop. What about that retirement thing you seem to want us to believe Forwood lost? What does that little word “vested” mean in the retirement program? Care to comment?
Retired Cop. Help me understand PTSD. Tell me your story.
A J I think I talk to someone who understands it and has gone through some of the things i did. Thanks anyway.
The following is a brief list of examples of poor leadership chooses of Bane at the Detention Center. Certain staff members have progressed with impunity due to their relationship with the long running clique in the administration.
1) Warden De Haven has been assigned to the administration at the Detention Center for 23 years. He spends a major portion of his work day outside smoking cigarettes or hanging around the coffee pot. He was the operations commander during the Ford law suit that was screwed up and facilitated the payment of over $400,000 of Harford County citizen’s tax dollars to the plaintiff. De Haven is very out of touch with the current needs of the facility and the staff at the Detention Center say he needs a GPS to find the inmate housing areas where most for the staff are working under staff. The general opinion of most rank and file staff is that he is in way over his head and should have never been given the job in the first place.
2) Captain Jackson has had a very colorful career to say the least. Her personal decisions reflect poorly on her fitness for command. The Captain has had a long term interpersonal relationship with a known CDS user seller. This person has been booked into the Detention Center several times over the years and had to be transferred out of county for housing at county expense. She was also involved in an administrative foul up in the billing of the state for the housing of state inmates which cost the Sheriff’s Office over $300.000 in reimbursement funds. The Captain also received commander’s discipline and was suspended from duty for falsifying leave and pay roll documents.
3) Now Bane promotes Gullion to Captain he was removed from his position as training coordinator as a Corporal for poor job performance he was also relieved from his position as work release Sergeant again for poor job performance. Then as a Lieutenant he was involved in two Internal Affairs investigations for inappropriate contact with subordinates is the guy charmed or what. Does Bane even look at the personnel file of the people he promotes? Poor leadership choices by Bane.
There are a number of incidents where mistakes of lower ranking staff that have been minimized or magnified depending on their relationship with the Administration; this has drastically affected the moral of the employees.
These things are absolutly true and can easly be verified through agency personnel records which are public information beleave me…
Is this a joke. Wow… do you work at the Detention Center?
DUH???
Are you the last one on the planet to understand Bane is a poor leader? He is systematically destroying the Sheriff’s Office and guess what, the Union’s backed him during the election. So now they have to put up with him and his lack of decision-making ability for another 4 years. If you wanted to get promoted you should have donated to Bane’s Campaign or dated his Executive Secretary. By the way, what does your post have to do with the Forwood conviction article?
I would think that the DC info post was to also point out that Bane’s poor choices for Command Staff positions at the DC fall right into line with his poor choice of Forwood.
RETIREDAWHILE
GET A LIFE! THINK WHAT HIS WIFE AND SMALL CHILDREN ARE GOING THROUGH. EVERYTIME THEY GO OUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU STARE AND WISPER. WHY DON’T YOU GIVE IT A REST YOU SELF RICHOUS ???.
You think what I have to say about Forwood, all of which is true, will upset his family. Wait until they read the Fridays Aegis. Why didn’t Forwood think about his family!
The words I think you meant were “Whisper” and “Righteous”.
David Craig and his political machine (the Bel Air Republican Club) backed Jesse Bane and the Union during the last election. Craig did not want an outsider, i.e Gahler to get in and potentially rock the boat and expose David Craig for what he is (a Tax and Spend Liberal).
Craig and his cronies have some explaining to do.
wtf does Craig have to do with Bane, Forwood or whom gets elected as Sheriff? I don’t know how you can call a CE that has cut taxes and spending a “tax and spend liberal”?
There is no conspiracy…Foxwood made some bad choices and will now have to answer to the law. Bane kept the major on the payroll while the charges were investigated by Baltimore County Police. Due process applies to all employees, even in private practice it happens. A rush to judgement by firing the accussed could have cost the county more with lawsuits and it could affect the outcome of the case by injecting bias into the due process. I think these guys probaly know a thing or two about the law and implications to unwarranted actions. Foxwood, if found guilty of felony charges will probably lose his pension which will save the taxpayers whatever $$$ were paid to him while under paid leave.
It’s Forwood, not Foxwood.
Yikes,
You sure have said a mouthful . . . I hope you can back it up if you are called on the carpet for it. Think about this: other than the persons you named, blamed, and possibled slandered, who do you feel would be better to fill these spots (currently working at the DC). Were you passed over and now angry? When I see posts like yours and some of the others (for example Retireawhile, Recently Retired, and Rhinohunter to name a few), I have to wonder what occurred in your lives (fired, disciplined, forced out, etc.) to generate such anger. Look at the rediculous statement by Retiredawhile, “Hey, relaxing at home and watching porn on the internet ain’t so bad if you have to serve 18 months. According to the Aegis, Judge Plitt says he can’t watch anymore child porn.” What purpose does this serve by posting such a nasty statement. When I look at what has been written by some, I have to wonder how stable these individuals are in their own lives. There must be something going on in their personal lives to cause such vicious and venomous posts.
Here’s another post by Retiredawahile that’s over the top: “You think what I have to say about Forwood, all of which is true, will upset his family. Wait until they read the Fridays Aegis. Why didn’t Forwood think about his family!” When i see things like this, I also have to wonder what is wrong with this individual to get such pleasure from all this. I don’t read the Aegis because I feel that only about 25% of what is printed is objectives and most of that are the advertisements.
Gee Rob,
Are you a member of David Craig’s bloated budget or a member of the Bel Air Republican Club.
Rob in Bel Air,
You talk just like Jesse. Maybe you are spending too much time with him…
I have never displayed any anger in my comments. Just facts. I did my 30 years, and retired like I said I would. Time for someone else to to work 25 years of night shift…
RETIREDAWHILE
Looks like you really enjoy seeing his wife and children
suffering for what he did!
I don’t enjoy seeing anyone suffer. I also know that I am not responsible for their suffering. That responsibility rests with Mark Forwood.
He’s a good man?? I’m sorry, but I don’t know any ‘good men’, especially a cop, who steal nude photos of underage girls from case files and put them on their personal laptop. He’s disgusting, selfish and abused his power in every way possible. This goes way beyond theft people, open your eyes.
Jesse Bane handpicked Mark Forwood. Jesse Bane paid Forwod for seven months at the Tax Payer Expense while Forwood sat home and did nothing. Jesse Bane failed to investigate Forwood. Jesse Bane would not fire Forwood. Thanks Jesse Bane.
Rhinohunter . . . most command staff members, whether the HCSO, MSP, BCPD and BPD are handpicked by the Sheriff, superintendent, chief, commissioner, etc. There is nothing unusual about “hand-picking” one’s command staff. The leader needs to be surrounded by people he or she can trust and depend on. I’m sure if Sheriff Bane knew of Mark Forwood’s illicit activity; he would not have elevated him to Major. Of course you will not accept that for one or more reasons:
1.) You have an extreme dislike for Sheriff Bane and/or Mark Forwood;
2.) You were denied employment with the HCSO by the Bane Admin or let go; and/or,
3.) You just need something to do to get you through the day (perhaps a stability issue).
If something is true it is not slander . Whistelblowers have a responsibility to their community and the press has the responsibility to follow up on the information . The local press has been so bias when it comes to Bane and Craig but some day the house of cards will come falling down. Just some thoughts…
Don’t bet on it . . .
I have read on this site before that the people generally get the governments that they deserve. We have 10% unemployment, a county budget that has doubled under our current administration, crippling gas prices at the pump, property taxes that don’t reflect current values, BG&E bills from unread meters that are double what we expected to pay, guted retirement accounts and and a Sheriff that would molly coddle a confessed thief during an election year that cost the tax payer over a $100,000 to keep the stain off his re-election bid. If the electorate wasn’t so stupid I would think they were owed an apology.
AJ Thong,
Agreed, and we have the Harford County Deputies Union to thank. They paid tens of thousands of dollars to re-elect their puppet Jesse Bane. The Deputies Union and their Craig/Bane signs were everywhere. Of course it is tough to beat City Hall, I suspect David Craig, Billy Boniface and Jim McMahon, all supposedly big Republicans, were most likely getting out the vote for Jesse Bane.
If they knew what kind of person Jesse really is they would not have backed him. Jesse has created and lives in a fantasy world. He has never been a real cop.
His vindictiveness continues with his most recent transfers in the office. Those who did not back him for election are paying the price. His handling of the Forwood fiasco just proves his incompetence. That matter could have been investigated and dispositioned internally well within the seven-months if Jesse wanted it so. Anyone officer can verify that. The outside criminal investigation(s) is totally different than the internal case. I said it in an earlier post… if the Sheriff’s Office investigated all crimes in such an inefficient and slow manner the citizens would be screaming. The interest of the citizens need to come first. Not personal gain as Jesse enjoyed in the election.
100% true. Ask Sgt Betz, who who has been locally and nationally recognized for his major contributions and efforts in the fight against child abuse why he was banished to the midnight shift. Oh, because he backed Bodway. Ask Lt. Meckley why he was just transferred to Internal Affairs, where he will report directly to the Sheriff. Oh, that’s right, because he ran against Bane in the election. A fair, just and compassionate Sheriff as Bane has fooled everyone into believing? I think not.
What a shame it had to come to this, all so Bane could limit bad press during the election year. Many Deputies knew of the underage child images issue on Forwoods computer early in the summer around the May time frame. You would think that if the Deputies knew then Sheriff Bane knew, yet the Sheriff kept Forwood around on the taxpayer dime at a cost of approximately $8,900 per month. If the Sheriff didn’t know, then how out of touch is he??
When many of us were calling for the Sheriff to fire Forwood, Sheriff Bane along with the union leadership were shouting that you could not do that until Forwood had his day in court, as he was innocent until proven guilty. But then after the election is over and Forwood yet to have his day in court, Bane fires him. I certainly agree with firing Forwood, but Sheriff Bane knew all along that he could fire Forwood, Bane just wanted to limit bad press until the election was over.
Sheriff Bane, you have done the citizens of Harford County a disservice!!
AJ-your facts are off…actually 7.5% unemployment in the county…actually budget is roughly 24% higher since Craig took over in 2006 and now we are in 2011. Your tax assessment is done by the state, not the county and there is a process for you to appeal if you think or know that your property is not being assessed properly and higher energy prices are also felt at the county level. I think you owe the readera an apology for your dissemination of lies, exagerations and complete lack of rational thinking.
Hey people . . innocent until proven guilty. Burden of proof . . beyond a reasonable doubt. Due Process Clause (Fifth and Fourtheenth Amendments).
When Bane fired Forwood before Forwood had been found guilty in court beyond a reasonable doubt, was Bane wrong?
Rob: Is your last name Forwood? Or do you condone theft, kiddie porn and God knows what else Forwood did that we don’t even know about yet. Bane is a loser in the way he handled this situation. If Bane in fact did know about Forwood’s crimes and did nothing about it, he should be facing misconduct in office charges himself. If he didn’t have a clue what was going on then he is incompetent and shouldn’t be in office.
I truly feel bad for his wife and kids, but I have not one bit of pity for Forwood. So he is suffering from PTDS. I don’t know how anyone can become traumatized while sitting at a desk stealing porn from an official case and posting stolen items on Craigslist. He certainly wasn’t out on the road doing or seeing things that could cause a road deputy to experience stress. So let’s get this straight, Major making over $100K commits crimes, then due to the stress he is under after being caught, causes him to suffer from PTDS. Nice set up. Let’s hope that the criminals don’t catch on to this and start committing more crimes, then claiming the have a disorder due to the stress of having committed those crimes.
Perhaps Bane did react too quickly before he was found guilty. Only a court (trier of fact) can find one guilty of a crime. You raise an interesting point.
You don’t have to be found guilty of a crime to be fired from employment. Happens all the time without a trier of fact.
@Rob in Bel Air. I just read your 8:41PM post to Rinohunter making a case for why Agency Chiefs “handpick” their Command Staff. You say that Leaders need to be surrounded by people they can trust. You are 100% correct on this issue. But of course, for that same reason, is why officers serving in those positions do so “at will”, and can be terminated at any time. Imagine Bane being elected for the first time and not being able to select his own Command Staff because those positions are already filled. Do you think he is required to keep his enemies around? You and I both know he can let them go.
You will also find out soon, if you don’t already know, that Sheriff Bane has selected a Lieutenant to be “appointed” to the position of Major, skipping the grade of Captain. Do I believe he has the right to do so, Yes indeed! He will also have the right and authority to terminate (fire) that person at will, absent any trier of fact in court!!
I can’t agree with every decision the sheriff makes, just like I don’t agree with everything Obama does (for Obama it’s nothing he does that I agree with). I’m not there (just like many of the other posters here) so I don’t know all the facts (just like most of the posters here – although they think they do). Skipping the rank of Captain I do not agree with but it may only be a temp position. I don’t know all the facts so I cannot comment. There is always two sides to any story . . . we generally see only one side here from each poster. Based on your distain for the current Sheriff, you must have felt you were wronged in one way or another. I think that can only explain your tone in your posts. With all due respect, you should move on with your life.
I think you mean disdain, not distain. You would be wrong however. I don’t disdain Sheriff Bane, I just ‘disagree’ with his handling of the Forwood issue.
Thanks for correcting my spelling error. But based on your postings, I think it is more than disagree. I think there is some other reason or reasons for some or all of your posting.
Doesn’t say much about the current crop of Captains who, by the way, earned their rank. Now they are being passed over because of politics…or, Jesse is using a dart board for his selections, because as we all know he can’t make a logical decision.
I would have thought that there were a least two current Captains worthy of serving in the grade of Major. Well, it is what it is.
Was there or are there charges being filed for the alleged child pornography?
The Feb 4, 2011, issue of the Aegis goes into detail regarding the Forwood findings in court with regard to the lewd photos of a girl under the age of 18 that Forwood had on his computer.
As part of the Commitment and Probation conditions for Forwood, Judge Plitt ordered that Forwood forfeit his seized computer, and not access internet sites that display child pornography.
Here’s my question(s) . . . and it is ligit: Was the photograph actually that of a female under the age of 18, or did she just look younger than 18? Who/How was it proven that she was under age when the photograph was taken? Apparently this is the result of one single photograph and not many like those who trade child porn will have on their computer (I probably needed to re-word that but I don’t have time). I’m just curious if anyone knows because there seems to be many here that know so much about the case.
Judge Plitt knows, sounds like a question for the court. I would suggest you read the article in the Aegis, but you have stated before that you do not believe much of what they have to say.
Rob Forwood: He STOLE the pictures from a case that the Sheriff’s Department was investigating. They were investigating it because they knew she was a minor. I don’t know why you are so hellbent on making Forwood out to be a victim.
Ok, fair enough . . . you apparenlty know more about the case than I do (and perhaps more than the investigator investigating the case). But why you do seem to be so angry? I think Mr. Forwood is far from being a victim and I don’t buy the “PTSD” thing. I do like Deb’s post: “He who has not sin, cast the first stone. Judge not and you shall not be judged.” Getting back to your anger problem . . . What’s up with that? Do you need help?
The Aegis article said that the photo (or photos…the Aegis article made it sound like there were multiple photos he loaded onto his computer from a sexting case) didn’t meet the requirements for child pornography. For it to be considered child porn in the legal sense there has to be some sort of sexual act involved (which could include the subject simply touching her breasts or groin area…just a photo for her without a shirt on for example wouldn’t meet the legal definition) and not just nude/partially nude photos.
Regardless, I can’t understand why he would do something that stupid (though he obviously has some serious issues, I’m not really buying the “PTSD made him do it” claim.) If he wants to look at nude photos of 18 or 19 y/o women it’s not like it’s hard to find plenty of it legally on the internet for free.
I agree with your comments. I believe the photo issue is the basis for the Misconduct in Office charge.
There was a recent case in another state involving a police officer who was having consensual sex with a 16 year old female. The legal age for consent was 16. She sent him a nude picture of herself touching her groin area on the cell phone. He was charged with having child porn. So while it was legal for him to have sex with her, he could not possess the picture she sent him. Not a smart police officer!!
Bane threw many of his 2006 campaign workers under the bus by leaving Dehaven in charge at the detention center. Dehaven pasted out bumper stickers for Golding and Cochran from his office while on duty. When Bane rewarded him with the warden position he made things very hard on the lower ranking staff that put their careers on the line to support Bane. Now Bane is taking retribution on the people that diid not support him and put a big slap in the face of his Captains by promoting a Lieutenant to Major. The voters are sure getting what they voted for an ungrateful hypocrite…
“A Democracy of Hipocracy”…I am laughing my ass off!!!Thank You Everyone!…these posts speak to what I have believed all along. “The Harford Co. Justise System” is corrupt from the top to the bottom of the barrel. Unlike popular belief, one rotten apple usually is a good representation of the entire barrel, especially when its at the top! I feel so sorry for our poor little legal gangs with guns. Their jobs are apparently so troubling it drives them to be just like the scum they incarcerate up at the hilton…lol. Wow, lucky for them, “If they get caught” and “If they are convicted”, their yo boys will make sure they go out with either a big shabang, to let you think they’re actually doing something about it, or a little poof with plenty of cash to party on, like this one. I wonder how many more deviants and perverts are hideing behind harford co. police badges? I doubt we will ever know. Just hope that you don’t cross pathes with them because the justice you receive in harford co. might not be what you expect or deserve, or for that matter, can afford. H-PTSD= Harford Co. Police That Sow Destruction….I stink, therefore I Am, according to harford co. justice, that is, unless your a cop…lol
By far the most ridiculous and simple-minded posting – not worthy of further comment.
Dissenter did you even follow the case???????????????????????
He was charged by Baltimore County not Harford County!
Why would they report that he lost his pension, that has nothing to do with his case. Its common case, he was criminally charged and found guilty. He will not be receiving any type of pension and he didnt even have enough time on to retire anyway. The only thing he will probably get is a percentage of the money that he invested out of his pocket. again dont post things that you obviously dont have a clue about!
ooohhh…stop throwin them stones, robby boy
Its not what we know that we have to concern ourselfs with! Its what we don’t know? Criminals only reveal the truth when they get caught and can’t hide it anymore… In June 8,1978 when speaking at Harvard, Solzhenitsyn said, the blind can’t see the truth. Unfortunately, the same holds true for the people of harford co. As long as we have “rotten apples”, evil principalities in high places, namely, the harford co. injustice system, which includes the courts, the police and a “criminal” task force, we will never have real justice in harford county. All law breakers and law abiding citizens should beware, poison is indiscriminate, that is ,unless your a cop…Oh I think I’m suffering from H-PTSD now 🙁
Dissenter,
If you think there is injustice here what on earth would you think of the police in Mexico…
Remember the phrase…”don’t do drugs”…just keep repeating that to yourself.
As a proud member of “The Marijuana Growers Union” and an upstanding upper member of the lower class, I come to the realization a long time ago,that the world is chock full of sanctimonious hypocrites like the ones in power here in our beautiful county. There is only one reason why marijuana is still illegal and that is because judges and lawyers and cops are making tons of money suppress it and incarcerating poor people for it. “Lord Forbid” if they made it legal, many of their dubious jobs would be unnecessary!!!I found marijuana to be better then penicillin or antibiotics and most certainly better for me then any morphine or heroin derivatives, but I’m sure you as an upstanding member of the retired elite never found yourself in the company of such evil things?…”Wake Up People” marijuana will be legal sooner or later. It just depends on how much of your childrens future are you willing to throw in the trash heep of “The War On Drugs” before you realize the sheer stupidity of it all?…Billions and billions of dollars all for nothing. Money that is lineing the pockets of the very people who are destroying our once free country!….Oh and to answer your question. I don’t see much difference between the police in mexico and the police in harford co. but thats just the opinion of someone who has had to deal with them directly, oh and one more thing, “congratulation mexico” you still produce the best pot in the world!!…Thank You, Keep it comin.
Well,
I was right. You are into drugs. Apparently you have never been to Mexico. Go visit one of their jails.
Alcohol is a drug. One I bet you use. One I know our fine people in blue use. Your comments have no meaning? “We have come face to face with the enemy, and it is ?”
Alcohol is a drug. A legal drug. A drug that will kill hundreds of people today!, one I bet your comrands use? There has not been one documented death from marijuana! but I’m sure that means nothing to you. I don’t care about jails in mexico, that comment means nothing to me. I do care about the injustice our own government pours out on its own people in the name of “the law”, lol. Our government gets rich on poor people and rich people get away with everything! A government that breaks the law to apprehend the bad guys is not a government of the people. It has become a self serving monster…Heres just one small example of that covert agenda, there are many. Our county uses 911 to profile, hunt and hurt instead of protect, help and save…pathetic but true. Our police dept. see themselves as bastions of light. Many of them start their careers at the harford co. detention ctr. Wow, a good place to learn how to serve and protect the public? There they learn how to be different manifestations of the same problem!…and on and on. Recently Retired, if you live long enough, soon you will see, “because of arrogance” the actual demise of these united states and eveything said in my posts to be true!…”We have come face to face with the enemy, and it is ?”
Dagger,
Why not do a story on Jesse Bane and his insistence on keeping Forwood at taxpayer expense. Clearly Bane’s judgement should be called into question. First he hires Forwood then he refuses to investigate or fire him. Jesse Bane then lied about why he “couldn’t fire” Forwood.
Oh that’s right, the Dagger has writers on staff that will not pursue real stories about Jesse Bane.
You need to get your facts straight. Bane didn’t hire Mr. Forwood. Mr. Forwood was with the agency for a number of years and moved through a number of positions (some with rank) when he was selected among a number of agency personnel qualified to fill the job of major. Sheriff Bane, nor Mr. Forwood’s family had any idea (of his criminal activities), particularly when he promoted him. Please, next time you want to make a statment . . . have your facts in order.
As to those responding to Dissenter, you are wasting your time. Dissenter has some how slipped out of his (or her) strait-jacket and accessed a computer in the institution. Don’t waste your time . . .
Technically Mr. Forwood was hired by Sheriff Mele, however, Jesse Bane (at the time a Major and the Chief Deputy for Sheriff Mele) was the man who approved any new hires for the HCSO. DNEEPER was not to far off the mark.
True,
Bane’s could have initiated action against Forwood long before the criminal charges were filed.
And yes, Dissenter is a goof. Yet he does qualify for Bane’s hug a thug bucket list. Bane does not want to see their feelings hurt when they are charged for distributing their illegal drugs. I bet if Mr. Dissenter held a vigil on a street corner in Edgewood Jesse would go down and hold his hand, maybe even name a street after him….
You’ll have to wait for dissenter to be released from the institution unless there is an escape.
OK, let me get this straight, Bane is responsible because he knew (or should have known) when he first hired Mark Forwood, he would be committing these crimes. That makes sense (NOT!!!).
People, get a life.
Rob, have you been asleep or on extended vacation since Feb 12th? I don’t think Sheriff Bane knew, or should have known that Mr. Forwood would be committing crimes some 23 years after he was hired.
For better or for worse, the fact remains that Jesse Bane, as Chief Deputy some 23 years ago was in change of the HCSO hiring process. That’s it in a nutshell. Now go back to sleep as this is an issue that has moved on.
Hey, thats funny. You guys must be cop wanna be’s. I knew I smelt somtin stinky, or are you bums smokin dope again? Be very careful. We are watchin you now at the tool counters and I’d hide my child porn somewhere else, if ya know what I mean?…Do use all a favor, grab your beer and vibrator and go to work!
I think rob and the retired old goats are boneing a threesom?
I think you should change your name to “Peaceful AND Stupid.” You also need to learn to spell ! ! !
By far the most simple minded, et cetera et cetera. Dogmatic imbeciles shine their badges with ridiculous statements! Did you lecture when you har”ass”ed citizens at traffic stops?