A newly released indictment charges Apple’s Head of Global Security, Thomas Moyer, with for his alleged participation in a scheme to acquire concealed-carry gun permits for Apple’s security team in exchange for providing cops with iPads.
On Monday, the office of the Santa Clara District Attorney issued an announcement that a grand jury investigation found that Santa Clara County Undersheriff Rick Sung and Captain James Jensen withheld concealed carry permits from parties seeking to acquire them through a traditional application process. Instead, the cops allegedly ran an ongoing operation to pressure applicants into offering goods in exchange for the permits. Moyer was indicted for allegedly bribing an executive officer and authorities said that he promised “200 iPads worth close to $US70,000 ($96,152)” in exchange for the approval of four concealed-carry licenses. An insurance broker named Harpreet Chadha was also accused of promising $US6,000 ($8,242) worth of luxury box seat tickets to a San Jose Sharks hockey game in exchange for the coveted permits.
Authorities said that the investigation has been ongoing for two years and Jensen has already been charged in a related but separate case. The DA’s office claims that just after August 2, 2019, Moyer and Sung were alerted to a search warrant seeking the Sheriff’s department’s concealed-carry permit records and subsequently backed off of going through with the plan.
Apple did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment but Moyer’s attorney, Ed Swanson, sent us a statement saying that his client “is innocent of the charges filed against him.” Swanson said that Moyer is a respected Navy veteran who has worked at Apple for 14 years. “Ultimately, this case is about a long, bitter, and very public dispute between the Santa Clara County Sheriff and the District Attorney, and Tom is collateral damage to that dispute,” the attorney said. Little supporting evidence was offered by the DA’s office today and the defendants are expected to be arraigned on January 11, 2021.
While this appears to be a case of a corrupt police precinct taking advantage of citizens, one has to wonder why Moyer would feel the need to subvert official channels to get the job done when he holds an influential position at one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Apple has a hell of a legal team to evaluate a potential bribery attempt on behalf of the police. In a statement, District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, “Bribe seekers should be reported to the District Attorney’s Office, not rewarded with compliance.”