Medford sentenced to 15 years in prison

A federal judge sentenced former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford to 15 years in prison on corruption and extortion charges on Oct. 6.

The sentence came after a day of objections (97 in all) from defense attorney Stephen Lindsay. Judge Thomas Ellis overruled many of the objections and said that he believed Lindsay was re-arguing points he tried to make in the May trial that saw Medford convicted on 10 counts related to taking bribes from illegal video-poker operators in return for allowing their businesses to operate.

Lindsay also argued that due to Medford’s poor health, he should receive a reduced sentence, and the attorney presented a letter from people in the county praising Medford and petitioning the court to reduce his sentence.

Ellis said he acknowledged Medford’s health situation and his support in the community, but the judge compared corruption to “a cancer on our society” and said the sentence needed to be harsh.

“This [sentence] must stand like a bright beacon, warning others that if they think of abusing their office for personal gain, that there will be serious consequences,” Ellis said. In remarks to Medford, he told the former sheriff that “You have betrayed the trust conferred on you. … You abused that power in order to enrich yourself.”

Medford could be let out in about 12-and-a-half years for good behavior, but there is no parole in the federal-prison system.

At press time, sentencing hearings for three of Medford’s former deputies were still ongoing. (See updates this week at mountainx.com.)
For documents related to the Medford case, go to mountainx.com/xpressfiles.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.