Corruption trial digs into former Norfolk sheriff’s finances

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe’s finances were on center stage Thursday during his federal public corruption trial.

Prosecutors called Thomas Siska, an FBI forensic accountant who analyzed six years of McCabe’s bank accounts and credit card statements.

Prosecutors showed the jury check after check written from his “Friends of Sheriff McCabe” campaign account made out to McCabe and then cashed into his personal account. There were checks for $3,000, $4,500 and one for $5,000.

The deposits were usually made around the time his personal checking account was running low or over-drafted.

Rarely were the expenses ever documented on his campaign expenditure reports turned into the city, according to evidence laid out in court.

McCabe was part owner of a luxury suite for ODU Football games at Foreman Field. The suite came with a price tag of $20,000. The jury saw several invoices from ODU to McCabe that were paid by using a “Friends of Sheriff McCabe” credit card.

The FBI says he also charged all game-time food and alcohol to the suite from the same account. The jury was shown charges of $614, $882 and $1,476. McCabe would then file the expenses as campaign contributions.

McCabe had almost a dozen credit cards and each with a balance of thousands of dollars.

In 2016, McCabe applied for a mortgage loan. According to the paperwork he filled out, he was more than $800,000 in debt.

Former Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Capt. Gerald Sharrow served as McCabe’s personal driver for several years.
He told the jury that he would drive Ronnie Boone’s town car and limo to the sheriff from place to place.

Sharrow says there were trips to Dover Downs, Atlantic City and Redskins football games. He told the court it was his job to make sure the limo was gassed up and the bar in back fully stocked.

Sharrow told the court one time he was told to drive McCabe’s girlfriend out of town because the sheriff wanted to spend time with another lady friend.

The former captain also talked about how McCabe would ask him to cash checks from the sheriff’s campaign account. Sharrow would cash the checks and give the money back to McCabe.