I hope they send these guys a bill.


US Marshals blasted for escorting Fox broadcasters to World Series
January 12, 2009 03:19 PM Email| Comments (36)| Text size – +

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

US Marshals violated regulations and ethical standards when they escorted Fox Sports broadcasters to and from several major sporting events, including two games of the 2007 World Series in Boston, according to a report issued today by US Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

The 44-page report concludes that Joseph Band, a lawyer assigned to the "ethics team" at the US Marshals Service, misused his position at the agency while moonlighting as a statistician for FOX Sports. Band enlisted deputy marshals to transport him and his friends in motorcades to and from stadiums, airports, and hotels. The events included an NFL playoff game in Tampa in 2007 and the 2008 Super Bowl and the NCAA national championship football game, both of which were played in Phoenix.

In Boston, the report singled out Yvonne Bonner, who served as acting head of the US Marshal Service in Massachusetts from December 2006 until her retirement last month. Bonner is accused of violating standards and misusing government resources by dispatching two deputy marshals to Fenway Park during each of two home games of the World Series to escort Fox sportscasters Tim McCarver and Joe Buck in motorcades back to their hotels. The marshals were given passes by Band that allowed them enter the park and watch the games, according to the report.

During the second home game on Oct. 25, 2007, Band brought the deputy marshals into the press box, handed them notepads, and asked them to obtain weather conditions at the ballpark and help him record on-base percentage statistics, according to the report.

For her part, Bonner said she knew the FBI led Joint Terrorism Task Force was at Fenway Park for the World Series and thought it would be "beneficial" to have extra deputy marshals there if a problem arose. However, the report notes that members of the task force were not told about the additional deputies and were surprised when they saw them wandering around the ballpark.

Bonner wrote a letter to the Inspector General objecting to the conclusion that she had done something wrong. "Faced with the information I had at my disposal at the time, I would respectfully suggest that my actions were reasonable, justified and of benefit to the interests of the USMS, notwithstanding any possible misconduct or nefarious motive on the part of another employee (Mr. Band)," Bonner wrote.

The report says that the US Attorney's office in Boston declined to bring any criminal charges as a result of the probe. Federal prosecutors also declined to press charges in Washington, DC, where the US Marshal Service is headquartered.

US Inspector General provided a copy of the report to the US Marshals Service. The agency released a statement that said: "The actions of Band described in the OIG investigation do not reflect the culture of this agency nor the high standards to which we hold our employees."

Band, who had worked for the US Marshal's office of general counsel since 1992, recently retired, according to the marshals.Deputy marshals are responsible for transporting prisoners, protecting judges, and tracking fugitives.

interesting