A senior deputy from the Harford County Sheriff's Office, assigned to the county's detention center, is facing serious charges including theft over $1500 and multiple counts of forgery, following an indictment by the Harford County Circuit Court Grand Jury. As reported by the Harford County Sheriff's Office on their official news portal, Senior Deputy Shawn Forton, 40, had his employment status swiftly downgraded from suspension with pay to suspension without pay after the charges were brought against him on July 16.
The accusations surfaced when a woman, who reportedly knew Forton outside of his capacity as a correctional deputy, claimed that he had forged a check in her name and deposited the funds into his bank account. The investigation into these claims, which was carried out by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Standards, commenced as soon as they were brought to light, said investigations leading to the deputy’s immediate suspension on July 10 before even the indictment was rendered. The case details were turned over to the Harford County State's Attorney's Office then pursued a follow-up investigation, eventually presenting the case before a Harford County Grand Jury, culminating in an indictment and the subsequent serving of a Criminal Summons to Forton on July 17.
The Sheriff's Office has turned to the community for assistance, urging anyone with information pertinent to the case to reach out to Lt. Brandon Underhill at 410-638-4480. Forton, who has been with the Harford County Sheriff's Office since August 14, 2006, is now navigating the gauntlet of legal scrutiny and public mistrust.
In response to the indictment, Sheriff Gahler expressed his stance on the issue, "We expect the highest level of integrity from all Agency members as it is the backbone to ensuring public trust. Although this case has yet to be adjudicated, it is deeply disappointing that an individual entrusted with confidence has been accused and charged with breaching that trust. Such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated within my Office," articulating a zero-tolerance policy for employees who fall afoul of the law and the ethics esteemed by the Sheriff's Office, according to Sheriff's Office press release.
