(Memphis) – Joe Ford may no longer be in public office, but when he is arrested it still makes news.
“I have no comment.” the former Interim County Mayor and County Commissioner said Tuesday afternoon as he bailed out.
He claimed he had no idea why he was picked up at his Lakeland home Tuesday morning and hauled off to jail.
” I don’t know what the charge was. I don’t have any comment. I don’t owe the news media, anybody no explanation on why I was here. I am not in politics,” said Ford.
A court affidavit says Ford wrote a bad check in July for $1,301.23.
It was to Lauderdale Liquor Store, a South Memphis business known to cash payroll checks.
The complaint says Ford wrote the check on his Joe Ford Funeral Home bank account.
It was returned for non-sufficient funds.
The Liquor Store said Joe Ford was contacted several times to pay up, but the notices were ignored.
It’s not the first time the former county leader’s finances have landed him behind bars.
In 2011 he was jailed after writing a bad check for two Rolex watches at Las Savelle Jewelry.
And a company that installed two air conditioning units for Ford say he bounced two checks totaling 11-thousand dollars.
“At least now the community knows, Joe Ford I wouldn’t take another check from Joe Ford ever again,” the air conditioning company representative told us in 2011, after showing us the bad check he says was written by Ford.
But Joe Ford says his troubles are no one’s business.
“I don’t have to report to you all. I don’t owe you anything,” said Ford.
Joe Ford is out of jail on a 5-thousand dollar bond.
Sheriff’s Department Detectives also contacted Ford on several occasions, asking him to settle the debt with the liquor store.
But nothing happened.
Now Ford will have to answer in court Wednesday morning.
