By Thadeus Greenson
The Eureka Times-Standard
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — A former Humboldt County correctional officer pleaded guilty Friday to charges of having sexual relations with an inmate and aiding her escape.
A more than 20-year veteran of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Gary Fork, 50, of Willow Creek, faced a total of 16 charges based on allegations that he repeatedly released an inmate early from the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program -- known as SWAP -- in exchange for sexual favors.
Friday, Fork pleaded guilty to two charges of having consensual sexual activity with an inmate in a detention facility and one charge of aiding and abetting an escape in allowing the inmate to leave the SWAP facility before the conclusion of her shift.
Fork’s attorney, Michael Robinson, said he and the prosecutor on the case have agreed that Fork should be granted felony probation, though he may be sentenced to up to one year in county jail. Fork -- who Robinson said will not have to register as a sex offender as a result of the convictions -- is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 30.
Robinson said Fork’s is a “sad and unfortunate story.”
“While the conduct was clearly unlawful and involved incredibly bad judgment, what it really was was a fall from grace for this guy,” Robinson said. “It was consensual conduct and there was an emotional component to it and, really, a hope for a future relationship (with the inmate). It was limited to this one inmate -- it’s not like this was a habit or practice of his.”
In an e-mail to the Times-Standard, Deputy District Attorney Kelly Neel said Fork had no prior criminal history and noted the sexual contact was consensual and not coerced in the line of duty.
In September, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Brenda Godsey said her office became aware of the allegations facing Fork earlier that month and immediately placed him on administrative leave. On Friday, Godsey said Fork is no longer employed with the Sheriff’s Office, but said she could not comment further on his departure.
Subsequent to Fork’s being placed on administrative leave in September, Godsey said, the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office informed the Sheriff’s Office that it was conducting a criminal investigation.
Mike Hislop, chief investigator of the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, said his office heard rumored allegations concerning Fork starting in June but could not substantiate them. But in August, he said, a victim came forward and said she had been orally copulating Fork and showing her breasts in exchange for time off of SWAP.
In early September, Hislop said he interviewed Fork about the allegations, and he was totally cooperative.
“He admitted to some of the allegations and said he messed up,” Hislop said.
SWAP is an alternative program where people convicted mostly of nonviolent misdemeanors can apply to serve their sentence out of custody through a work program. If their application is granted, Godsey said, the inmates show up on an assigned schedule -- generally one day a week -- and put in an eight-hour work day, which is considered a day in custody and taken off their jail sentence.
Godsey said that Fork was employed with the Sheriff’s Office since around 1986, and had served as a correctional officer for more than 20 years.
Friday, Robinson complimented district attorney investigators for the quality of their investigation into Fork’s conduct.
“The investigation was very tight, of a very high quality and really dictated this outcome,” he said. “There was really no defense on these counts.”
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