PALATKA, Fla. — Two deputies from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office have been terminated following an audit that revealed they falsified timecards, resulting in thousands of dollars in unearned pay.
According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, Lt. Michael Wells and Detective Elias Rivera were found to have falsified their timecards, leading to financial losses for the sheriff’s office.
Wells was involved in ‘double-dipping’ by claiming work hours while teaching at a law enforcement academy, resulting in a loss of $6,522.49. Rivera failed to report leave time for off-duty work, causing a $2,558.45 loss.
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Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach expressed his disappointment, stating, “To say I am disappointed is a gross understatement to how I feel about the discredit these two have placed on my agency.”
Both deputies were charged with grand theft and official misconduct. Wells was terminated on October 6, and Rivera on October 16.
Sheriff DeLoach said, “No one is above the law, and even financial crimes are detrimental because they erode public trust in the many hardworking men and women in this agency.”
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