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Longtime JSO manager accused of using work funds for home improvement

During a press conference on Thursday morning, officials with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of one of their employees.

Undersheriff Pat Ivey announced the arrest of William G. Winstead, 70, a JSO facilities manager and 27-year member of the agency.

Winstead was booked into the Duval County Jail on Wednesday night on a charge of organized fraud, a third-degree felony. He has since been released.

The JSO integrity unit received an anonymous tip last Thursday about Winstead possibly using blanket orders for personal use.

“Blanket orders were being used to renovate, or potentially renovate, a personal residence and to build a deck,” said Ivey. “Wood, which, we use wood. I believe there was a fence or a gate of some kind, supplies, nails, screws, some tools, things of that nature.”

After receiving the tip, investigators dug into records for several days and discovered that Winstead had used the orders for personal use, Ivey said.

“We’re still in the process of looking how far back this potentially goes. We have looked at the records, I believe, since October 1, 2017, through current, but we will continue that to make sure that we do a thorough investigation,” said Ivey.

It’s unclear how much Winstead is accused of stealing. A review of JSO’s purchasing protocol is now underway.

“We have audit processes that normally would catch things or anything of this nature. Hopefully they would discourage things of this nature,” said Ivey.

During Winstead’s 27-year career at the Sheriff's Office, there were three allegations of "failure to conform to work standards" against him.

One them was found to be "not sustained".

Winstead received formal counseling and a written reprimand for the other two complaints.

Ivey said Winstead has resigned since his arrest.

Ivey said Winstead's arrest is the second arrest involving a Sheriff's Office employee in 2018, and that 10 employees were arrested in 2017.

Live: JSO announces arrest of employee

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Posted by Action News Jax on Thursday, March 8, 2018