Indicted South Bend Police Officer Resigns, Ending Internal Investigation

By JOSHUA STOWE, Tribune Staff Writer

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Indicted South Bend Police Officer Resigns, Ending Internal Investigation

Cpl. Jamie Buford (center), the South Bend police officer who faces wire fraud and drug charges as part of a federal indictment, was released from jail Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. Thursday he resigned from the South Bend Police Department. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Oct 25, 2007 at 10:26 AM EST

Story Updated: Oct 25, 2007 at 4:50 PM EST

(SBT24/7News) Cpl. Jamie Buford, the South Bend police officer who faces wire fraud and drug charges as part of a federal indictment, has resigned.

The city’s Board of Public Safety Thursday morning voted to accept Buford’s letter of resignation at Police Chief Thomas Fautz’s recommendation.

The board had been scheduled to vote on whether to put Buford on unpaid leave in the wake of this week’s indictment. Buford had been on paid leave since March 2006.

Fautz said the South Bend Police Department had initiated an internal investigation of Buford based on information it received about six weeks ago. Now that Buford has resigned, he said, that investigation has ended. Fautz did not elaborate on the focus of the probe.

In his letter, Buford said he is “very tired and fatigued” and said media coverage of the investigation has caused “a tragic amount of stress and grief” for his family.

“It is with great disappointment and regret that I must offer you this letter of resignation,” he wrote.

To read Buford's entire letter of resignation, click on the link in the Related Content box.

The indictment accuses Buford, 38, and former St. Joseph County officers Ryan Huston and Andrew Taghon, both 33, of stealing cocaine and other items from house trailers belonging to an unidentified man they knew was incarcerated. Taghon also faces multiple charges for selling stolen guns to a felon.

A fourth man, Daniel Alvarez, who is not a police officer, faces charges of selling stolen guns and making false statements to the FBI.

Two handguns noted in the indictment are linked to Willard King, who earlier had pleaded guilty to a gun charge in connection with the 2004 shooting of an undercover South Bend police officer.

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