Alabama mother, son charged with trying to bribe deputy

Elvie Gray and Calvin Gray Jr.

Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency have arrested Elvie Gray, 46, and Calvin Black Jr. 27. Both are charged with the felony crime.

A west Alabama mother and son are facing felony charges after state lawmen say they tried to bribe a law enforcement officer.

Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency have arrested Elvie Gray, 46, and Calvin Black Jr. 27. Both are from Sawyerville, and are charged with felony crimes.

According to charging documents Gray and Black met with law enforcement officials in Hale County several times in May and thousands of dollars were offered in an effort to stop an ongoing criminal investigation.

On May 9, according to a deposition in the case, Black called Greensboro Police Chief Michael Hamilton and asked if he could meet with him. The chief drove his police vehicle to Black’s grandmother’s house on County Road 7 and Black got into Hamilton’s police vehicle.

The ALEA agent said Black asked the chief if Hale County sheriff’s Lt. Arthur James “was cool,” and Hamilton told him that James was a “straight up guy.”

Black, documents state, went on to ask the chief if he thought James would stop an investigation into stolen vehicles for some money. Hamilton said he couldn’t answer that but would ask James for Black if that is what he wanted.

Black told the chief he would give James $5,000 to drop the case, documents state, and that he needed the blue Dodge Challenger that was at an auto body shop. Black told the chief to tell James that money was no issue, and he could get more if needed.

Hamilton then contacted Hale County Sheriff Kenneth Ellis, who requested an ALEA investigation. No law enforcement officer is implicated in any wrongdoing.

On May 14, Black’s mother, Elvie Gray, met with the police chief to give him $3,000. However, the exchanged amount, the ALEA agent wrote, was found to be only $2,700. The second transaction reportedly took place on May 28 for Gray to bring the additional $300. According to investigations, Gray and Black were paying $3,000 up front and were to pay the $2,000 balance after the Challenger was released and the case dropped.

Gray and Black were arrested in May, but the court documents against them were made public Wednesday. Both have been released from the Hale County Jail on $5,000 bond.

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