Former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe's appeal rejected

Former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe's appeal of his 2021 corruption and fraud convictions was rejected Monday by a federal appeals court.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit determined that McCabe's appeal arguments lacked merit and upheld his convictions and sentence in a 49-page opinion.

In particular, McCabe's lawyers argued that his trial was unfair because it took place before that of his co-defendant, Gerard Boyle, a former prison contractor who bribed the sheriff in exchange for lucrative contracts. The appeals team also argued that hearsay statements from a Norfolk undersheriff should not have been allowed, that jury instructions were improper and that sentencing enhancements were applied wrongly.

McCabe – who served as sheriff from 1994 to 2017 – was convicted of 11 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering following a three-week trial in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. He was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Online federal prison records show McCabe is being held at FCI Estill, a medium-security prison located in Estill, South Carolina. Its release date is set for February 1, 2031.

Jane Harper, [email protected]