Non-profits made thousands off Commissioner Ford alleged scheme
by: Quametra Wilborn
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG is learning more about the organizations involved in the federal indictment of Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr.
A man tasked with creating legislation and establishing policy is now accused of breaking the law.
Ford has been charged with six counts of tax evasion and one count of bribery and kickbacks.
A federal indictment said he used his position in government to help three non-profits get grant funds and then received payments from those organizations in exchange for laptops from his business, E and J Computer Services and Repair.
Agents said he even had the non-profits disguise their payments to him.
He’s also accused of not reporting any income he received on his taxes.
His father, Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford Sr., expressed publicly his confidence in his son’s innocence.
“Not a thing gone come out,” he said. “God good all the time. We’re not worried about a thing, okay? Not about a thing.”
The indictment doesn’t explicitly name the non-profit organizations but identifies them as NPOs 1, 2 and 3.
The indictment said Ford would sponsor a resolution for the organization to get grant funding, not disclose any business relationship and would not recuse himself from the vote.
For example, the indictment said that in November of 2019, an executive with NPO2 appeared before the commission asking for $25,000 in community grants.
On November 17, they allegedly sent him a text saying, “Morning, you should do 20 and we do 23 a piece. Just a thought.”
Ford allegedly responded, “That might be a good thought. I’ll let you know.”
On November 18, Ford moved to amend the grant to a total of $46,000. The resolution was approved, with Ford voting in favor.
Shortly after the organization received the check from Shelby County Government, the feds said NPO2 wrote a check for $20,000 to E and J Computer Services with 30 laptops listed in the “for” section of the check.
Your News Leader compared the Shelby County Commission meeting dates and grant funding listed in the indictment with past meeting minutes and agendas.
We found three organizations that matched those exact details: Prime Time Parenting, Memphis Women Aiming High Incorporated and UCAN of Memphis.
With Ford sponsoring each resolution, government records show the organizations were awarded county funds totaling tens of thousands of dollars over several years.
“God is good all the time and y’all will be surprised,” Ford Sr. said.
Ford Jr. is out on a $25,000 bond.
WREG has reached out to all of the organizations reportedly involved in the scheme. We have not heard back.
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