BEL AIR, MD – A Harford County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Deputy has been indicted and suspended without pay following serious allegations of theft and forgery. Senior Deputy Shawn Forton, 40, who has been with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office since August 2006, faces a felony charge of theft over $1500 and multiple forgery charges.
The charges stem from an incident involving a female victim who claimed that Forton, whom she knew outside his professional capacity, forged a check in her name and deposited it into his personal bank account. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office, upon learning of the allegations from a community member, launched immediate criminal and internal investigations through its Criminal Investigations Division and Office of Professional Standards.
Following the investigations, the case was handed over to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, which presented the findings to a Harford County Circuit Court Grand Jury on July 16, 2024. The Grand Jury issued an indictment shortly thereafter.
Forton, initially suspended with pay on July 10, saw his suspension status change to without pay following the Grand Jury’s decision. A criminal summons was served to Forton on July 17, 2024. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with further information related to this case to contact Lt. Brandon Underhill at 410-638-4480.