GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — There's new information about an Action News investigation we first brought you last week. A Green Cove Springs police officer is facing new accusations of abusing his power.
Officer Mark Wilson started in 2006. Action News was the first to tell you about his checkered past. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for passing bad checks. An internal investigation also found he had an inappropriate relationship with a confidential informant and even sent crime scene photos to that same informant. Now we've uncovered even more.
Just last week, Wilson was reprimanded for abusing his power. A memo from a Green Cove Springs police lieutenant said Wilson looked up his girlfriend's son in a statewide system that allows officers to look up your private information. It's only supposed to be used for legitimate criminal investigations. This was his second violation.
We also uncovered in 2009 an internal investigation found Wilson used his badge to get into the Clay County Sheriff's Office evidence room for what he told a lieutenant in a memo, was personal gain. After all that, he still has his job enforcing the law.
Action News Law and Safety expert Dale Carson says these actions could put prior and future cases at risk. In the last five years, Wilson has been involved in 273 arrests and criminal citations.
"If the individual who he testifies against is a convicted felon, the jury has a right to know and determine if the individual is credible," said Carson.
We called Chief Robert Musco Monday about the investigations. He told us the former city manager decided not to terminate Wilson after the violations in 2009. But when we asked the chief about the reprimand from last week and when is enough enough, he said, "This is it."
During our conversation Musco also said, "There will be no more chances."
Wilson received 12 hours suspension without pay for the second violation for using the state system to look up someone.
WJAX
