DC Officer Convicted of Selling Crash Victim Information to Lawyer Referral Service

A former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) patrol officer was recently sentenced in US District Court to 20 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme in which he illegally provided non-public police information in exchange for payments in cash.

Vincent Forrest’s sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director David Sundberg of the Washington field office.

On January 11, 2024, a jury found Washington DC resident Forest guilty of conspiracy, bribery and making false statements. In addition to the prison term, Forrest was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $15,000.01.

According to the government’s evidence, beginning in April 2019, Forrest used his official access to MPD’s sensitive police database to review and record victim contact information from traffic accident reports that contained the names and contact information of individuals involved in traffic accidents.

Forrest sent the victim’s contact information to Raquel DePaula, 43, of Beltsville, Maryland, using an encrypted communications app. DePaula, who owned RD Legal Solutions, LLC, acted as a “runner,” providing the victim’s contact information to local attorneys in exchange for referral fees. The attorneys then contacted the accident victims within days of their traffic accidents in violation of DC law.

According to prosecutors, DePaula testified at trial that she paid Forrest for the victim’s contact information. Evidence at trial showed that during the course of the scheme, she paid Forrest more than $15,000 and received contact information for 2,667 traffic accident victims.

On October 6, 2021, in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, DePaula pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official. On April 1, 2024, she was sentenced to five years of probation.

DePaula and Forrest are the sixth and seventh defendants to be convicted in connection with the illegal sale of traffic accident reports by MPD officers. Previously, MPD Officers Walter Lee and Kendra Coles, MPD Officer Aaron Willis, business owner Marvin Parker and law firm employee Michelle Cage pleaded guilty to related charges.