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Vincent Forrest, 35, was convicted this week for his role in a bribery scheme where he illegally provided private information from police documents in exchange for cash payments.
Forrest and Raquel DePaula, 43, of Beltsville, were indicted by a grand jury in June 2021.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2019, Forrest accessed confidential information from MPD Traffic Accident Reports.
Additionally, the former officer used his access to the department's law enforcement sensitive database to review and record victim contact details from those reports, including the names of those involved in crashes.
Forrest sent the victim contact information to DePaula using WhatsApp Messenger. Then she acted as a "runner," using the contact information to solicit local attorneys in the days after victims' accidents.
Officials said that Forrest met up with DePaula at various locations in DC and Maryland to receive cash bribes from her.
They then concealed their bribery scheme by, among other methods, communicating by encrypted application, meeting in person, and exchanging bribes in cash.
The evidence at trial showed that over the course of the scheme, DePaula paid Forrest over $15,000 and receiving contact information for 2,316 traffic crash victims.
She pleaded guilty in October 2021 in DC to bribery of a public official and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Sentencing for Forrest is set for June.
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