The head of Global Security for Apple Inc., Thomas Moyer, was found not guilty by a Santa Clara County jury Wednesday of bribery charges tied to a scandal involving former Sheriff Laurie Smith and the issuing of concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office alleged Moyer agreed to donate nearly $70,000 worth of Apple iPads in exchange for hard-to-come-by CCW permits for members of the company’s security team.
Moyer and his attorneys, Ed Swanson and Mary McNamara, have always contended there was zero quid pro quo and that the iPads were offered in support of a new sheriff's program, rather than payment for the gun permits.
"We are deeply grateful to the jury for bringing this misguided prosecution to an end,” Moyer’s attorneys said in a statement. “Tom Moyer is innocent and should never have been charged. Mr. Moyer is grateful for the support he received throughout this ordeal from Apple and, especially, from his family."
Moyer continues to serve in his role at Apple.
In 2021, a Santa Clara County judge dismissed the criminal case against Moyer, but the dismissal was later reversed by an appellate court judge.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement that he respects the jury’s determination.
“We remain proud of our office’s investigation because it resulted in several related convictions as well as improvements at the Sheriff’s Office and in how concealed firearms permits are handled,” Rosen said. “We remain committed to rooting out this type of corruption wherever it may lie.”
Sheriff Laurie Smith retired in 2022 as she awaited a verdict in a civil corruption trial in which she was later found guilty on six counts of corruption and willful misconduct related to the pay-to-play scandal.
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An NBC Bay Area investigation found donors to Smith’s campaigns were roughly 14 times more likely to be granted coveted CCW permits than those who did not contribute to her political coffers.
