MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. was taken into federal custody after turning himself in Friday morning.
He is charged with bribery and kickbacks concerning federal funds and six counts of tax evasion, according to a federal indictment.
“At 2 o’clock, we’ll address the judge about his bond conditions, and then he’ll be released out from this building this afternoon,” said his Attorney, Michael Scholl.
Attorney Scholl says they’ve known about the investigation for awhile.
“I’ve been talking to the U.S. Attorney’s office for a while,” Scholl said. “We’ve just recently learned of the indictment. They agreed to give me a call and allow us to turn him in this morning.”
If Ford Jr. is convicted of bribery, he could face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison with a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
If he is convicted of tax evasion, he could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison with a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
WREG crews captured photos of Ford going to the Odell Horton Federal Building and talking to his attorney. His father, city councilmen Edmund Ford Sr., was also present.
“God is good all the time, and y’all will be surprised,” Ford Sr. said. “My son is very good, very great person. When you try to do things for the community and things like that, you got bad people always focusing on that good person.”
In 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at his Whitehaven home, which his father, Ford Sr., owns.
The warrant was the result of an ethics violation involving a $450,000 county grant that was approved for the local nonprofit Junior Achievement of Memphis in 2019. Ford Jr. was investigated for allegations.
His business sold computers to the group, resulting in a $45,000 profit, but Ford allegedly did not properly disclose his dealings with the nonprofit before the vote. Due to a conflict of interest, the case was then sent to District Attorney General Robert Carter in Middle Tennessee.
In a statement, Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South told WREG it is “fully cooperating with the authorities on this matter.”
FBI raid on Commissioner Ford’s home related to 2021 ethics probe
WREG pressed county officials at the time, including Chief Administrative Officer Harold Collins
“The ethics ordinance only prescribes that elected and appointed officials adhere to policies that do not bring reproach upon Shelby County government,” Collins said.
During that time, the district attorney would not say why the feds were involved in the investigation. It’s still unclear if this is related to Ford’s alleged decision to turn himself in.
This story will be updated.
