The Tennessee Sheriffs' Association

Suspect Charged in Solicitation Scheme

Richard Simms
August 17, 2007

The Bradley County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Cleveland, Tennessee man for soliciting businesses on behalf of law enforcement and firefighter associations with which he had no affiliation.

David L. Forni, 45, is charged with accepting money from two businesses in Bradley County that he solicited on behalf of the Tennessee Sheriff's Association, the International Association of Retired Firefighters, and the Police and Sheriff's Association. The investigation started when the sheriff's office started receiving calls from businesses that had been contacted by phone about donating to the Tennessee Sheriff's Association.

Sheriff Tim Gobble said, "The sheriff's association is a legitimate organization that works to improve law enforcement in Tennessee. They do not solicit by phone but do raise money through an annual mailing to homes in February." Forni is charged with two counts of unauthorized solicitation for police/judicial associations, a class E felony, and two counts of criminal impersonation, a class B misdemeanor.

Businesses who contributed believed their name would appear in a law enforcement or fire fighter publication. They were given a receipt for either the International Fire Service Yearbook or the Police and Sheriff's Association. The investigation revealed there has been a number of businesses in Bradley and Hamilton County that were called about donating to the sheriff's association. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is conducting a similar investigation of those allegations. Businesses who contributed were given a receipt for either the International Fire Service Yearbook or the Police and Sheriff's Association Law Enforcement Journal.

Any business in either Bradley County or Hamilton County who responded to a phone call by making a contribution to one of these organizations should contact the sheriff's office in their county. In Bradley County you should contact Detective Carl Maskew at 728-7337. In Hamilton County you should contact sheriff's Detective Robin Langford at 209-8940.

Sheriff Gobble thanked those who had called the sheriff's office or contacted him regarding the calls they received.

"Law enforcement and citizens working in unison to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the community can make a difference," said Gobble.

Forni gave a business address of 1009 Keith Street, Suite E.

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If each agency is accountable, we can reduce problem
By Sheriff David Davenport
Published in The Tennessean, Tuesday, 09/25/07

I found The Tennessean's stories on prison and jail escapees both informative and to the point. Any time a violent person escapes from jail or prison, society is at risk.

As a sheriff, each time we have an "escape" (usually an inmate walking away from a work program) we immediately issue a warrant and enter the person in the National Crime Information Center database. If the person isn't found in 48-72 hours, he or she is evaluated to determine the threat to the community.

If the escapee has a history of violent crimes, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is requested to put the individual on the Top Ten List to expedite the capture of the escapee.

If the escapee is a state inmate being housed in a county jail, the Tennessee Department of Correction is immediately notified of the escape.

When a jailbreak occurs, each law enforcement agency is notified by teletype messages, and BOLOs (Be On the Lookout alerts) are issued on the radio in an attempt to apprehend the individual or individuals.

In the past two weeks, seven inmates escaped the Hamblen County Jail in Morristown. All are back in custody (one escapee was caught in Texas) thanks to the diligence and hard work of the Hamblen County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies.

For the system to work, each escapee should be put in the NCIC system and not removed until capture or confirmed death of the escapee. With approximately 150 state inmates still being listed on escape status, the state Department of Correction should have dedicated individuals monitoring and updating fugitive escapee files routinely.

Since the TBI has jurisdiction in tracking and apprehending fugitives, they should be notified of any escape of state inmates.

I know most sheriffs view escapes as a danger to the community and do everything possible to apprehend and prosecute escapees.

There is a system in place to identify these people and, as The Tennessean story pointed out, most are stopped for traffic violations or arrested for other offenses.

It would be great if state and/or local governments had the resources and manpower to dedicate full-time people to track fugitives but, for now, we have to make what is available work. By each agency doing their duty and not passing the buck, we can improve the system that is in place to track and apprehend escapees.

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