Apple’s head of global security Thomas Moyer has been cleared of corruption charges for allegedly providing 200 iPads to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Thomas Moyer and insurance broker Harpreet Chadha have been accused of offering bribes to Santa Clara Deputy Sheriff Rick Sung and Captain James Jensen to obtain licenses for disguised firearms (known as CCW , weapons that appear to be normal, harmless items in common use). Applicants applying for a CCW permit in California must demonstrate “good cause” and have excellent moral standing, with local sheriffs having broad discretion in determining who obtains such permits.
In the case of four firearms licenses denied to some Apple employees, Deputy Sheriff Sung and Captain Jensen were successful in persuading Moyer to promise that Apple would donate 200 iPads, worth about $ 75,000, at the sheriff’s office. Sung and Moyer rescinded the deal at the last minute, after learning that the district attorney executed a search warrant to seize CCW documents in the sheriff’s office.
The judge dismissed the charges, saying the donations offered by Moyer were the result of a misunderstanding. As stated in the decision, when Moyer offered the iPads, he was confident that the CCW licenses had already been issued. In practice, Apple’s global security chief did not know or understand that iPads were a prerequisite for licensing.
Moyer a thanked the court for “For having paid such attention to this matter and for allowing me to continue my life”.
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