Standing outside the Richland County Prosecutor’s office on Monday afternoon, Maurice King III continued a fight he’s been fighting for more than six years to clear his name of what he says is a wrongful conviction.
“There was some information about an investigation that was received that stated I was involved in some things that I wasn’t,” said King. “The investigator completely ignored all the facts and evidence and concentrated strictly on me because he thought it was me who was involved.”
According to a flyer King was passing out on Monday, the investigator involved is Detective Eric Bosko, who is now employed with the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. King stated in 2007 as a Mansfield detective, Bosko was investigating an alleged theft ring and received information that a “Bellville cop” and a “Maurice King” were involved.
“It was another individual with the same name as mine,” said King. He explained the Bellville cop and the Maurice King identified were two separate people.
The flyer continues to detail that two informants allegedly working for Bosko were sent to the home of then-Bellville cop Maurice King III to sell him portrayed stolen guns in exchange for not going to prison. King stated he did not take police action when confronted with the informants attempting to sell him the weapons because his three small children were in the house, and he feared retaliation.
In the flyer, King stated that he decided to play along in order to obtain crucial evidence needed. No transaction took place, but after the informants left King contacted his friend Keith Porch, who was then a METRICH Task Force Detective. Porch began to investigate but was told to stop all actions and communications with King because it was Bosko who was trying to “sting” King.
A few days later, says the flyer, Mansfield detectives executed a search warrant at King’s home where no stolen property or other illegal items were discovered. However, King claims that by the time Bosko realized King was not involved it was “too late to back out” so instead, evidence was fabricated to fit his case.
“He had people say things that were not true on the stand, he himself was very untruthful about the situation,” said King. “I had two jury trials, and I refused to plea bargain at all because I know I’m 100 percent innocent.”
King was convicted after the second trial and served 22 months of incarceration. He said the pain and suffering he and his family has endured for more than half a decade has been “indescribable,” especially the loss of his grandmother while he was incarcerated.
“I didn’t get to see her, she died alone when I would have been there with her,” he said. “But I did get to see her in a casket while I was in chains and shackles with two armed guards beside me.”
With his prison time behind him, King is fighting to expose what he says is a wrongful and illegal conviction, and to bring light to the corruption taking place in Richland County.
“Bosko has been doing some things for a number of years that have been very unethical and illegal,” said King. “I’m trying to put a damper on the corruption and to get a little bit of my life back so I can move on.”
One part of moving on will be the outcome of a two-year FBI investigation into Bosko and King’s case.
“The FBI did a complete federal investigation for over two years, they have uncovered everything,” he said. “Right now I’m waiting on the outcome. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
King said he doesn’t know if he will ever be in law enforcement again, but regardless he will continue to fight against what he calls the “wrongdoings” of the people in the legal system. For now, he is only focused on one thing.
“I just want my name back and my life back,” he said. “I’m waiting on the right thing to be done.”
