MIAMI – The Broward Sheriff’s Office introduced Friday the arrest of a veteran BSO deputy, who’s dealing with grand theft charges.
BSO mentioned Michael Spencer was arrested shortly earlier than 1 a.m. throughout his shift on the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.
Spencer faces one rely every of grand theft and committing a third-degree felony with a weapon.
Here is what BSO mentioned led to the arrest:
“Following up on undisclosed information, BSO PCU detectives conducted an undercover integrity check operation at the airport.”
“Wednesday evening, Aug. 24, an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) who assisted with the operation posed as a traveler who found an unattended brown purse in the airport. The undercover ATF agent turned the handbag that contained $1,664 in cash into Deputy Spencer while he was on duty, in uniform and sitting in his marked BSO vehicle. The purse also contained multiple decoy items to give the appearance a traveler had lost it.”
Detectives say Spencer made no makes an attempt all through the remainder of his shift, which ended at 5 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 25, to show within the purse and its contents. Instead, they mentioned he saved the money and discarded the purse and its contents.
Spencer reported to work Thursday night however nonetheless didn’t flip within the cash, based on investigators. As a end result, he was taken into custody Friday at roughly 12:50 a.m.
The investigation revealed that Spencer spent about $200 of the cash.
Detectives recovered the remaining $1,476 of the investigative funds inside Spencer’s assigned BSO automobile.
“Public safety is an honorable profession and requires people to serve with the highest ethical standards. We will continue to police ourselves, hold employees accountable for their actions and arrest them when they engage in illegal activity,” Sheriff Gregory Tony mentioned.
Spencer has been with BSO since December 2001 and has been suspended with out pay.
