Los Angeles Port Police Chief Facing Corruption Charges

Ronald Jerome Boyd — chief of the Port of Los Angeles’ 128-officer force for more than a decade — faces charges of wire fraud, making false statements to federal agents and tax evasion, according to the 16-count indictment.

Ronald Jerome Boyd — chief of the Port of Los Angeles’ 128-officer force for more than a decade — faces charges of wire fraud, making false statements to federal agents and tax evasion, according to the 16-count indictment. (Photo: LA Port Police)Ronald Jerome Boyd — chief of the Port of Los Angeles’ 128-officer force for more than a decade — faces charges of wire fraud, making false statements to federal agents and tax evasion, according to the 16-count indictment. (Photo: LA Port Police)

The chief of police at the nation's busiest container port was indicted Thursday on federal corruption charges that accuse him of hiding his business links to a software developer he was helping win a contract at the port.

Ronald Jerome Boyd — chief of the Port of Los Angeles’ 128-officer force for more than a decade — faces charges of wire fraud, making false statements to federal agents and tax evasion, according to the 16-count indictment.

The charging document alleges that Boyd, who once worked as the valet to singer Ray Charles, defrauded the city “by means of bribery and kickbacks” and provided confidential information about the port to the software vendor, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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