Former Port Of LA Police Chief Pleads Guilty To Federal Tax Charges
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The former Port of Los Angeles police chief pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal tax charges and making a false statement to the FBI.
Ronald Jerome Boyd, 58, of Torrance, admitted to lying to the FBI during a probe of his financial dealings, committing tax evasion and failing to file complete income taxes for 2011.
His trial was expected to begin this week but was delayed while a plea agreement was brokered.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Boyd was indicted in April 2015 in Los Angeles on criminal charges of wire fraud and making false statements to the FBI.
The indictment states that Boyd defrauded the city "by means of bribery and kickbacks." He is also accused of providing confidential information about the Port of Los Angeles to software vendors.
Federal prosecutors allege the former police chief helped a software developer obtain a contract with the city of Los Angeles while forming an undisclosed joint venture with the company. Boyd then lied about his actions during an interview with federal agents.
Boyd, who was employed at the busiest container port in the country for more than a decade, retired from the force in November 2015.
If convicted of the seven counts against him, Boyd could face multiple years in federal prison.
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