SUMMARY

The highest ranking members of the Lee County Sheriff are the owners and registered Officers of these private companies in which public funds are being transferred.

Carmine Marceno – Interim Sheriff

John Holloway – UnderSheriff

Abbi J Smith – Lee County Sheriff Office Attorney

Carmine Del Aquila – Private Citizen

Attorney General Opinion (AGO 78-151) states this,

“ A sheriff is not authorized by law to receive in his official capacity, process through his official accounts and records, and disburse on official checks private dues or membership…Private dues payments and private contributions or donations to private institutions are not mentioned in these statutes; their exclusion is thereby implied and the sheriff is not authorized to deposit private moneys in such accounts or make disbursements therefrom by official check for private purposes…... and  219.02(2), F. S., prohibiting certain county officials from commingling public money with personal funds.”

There are other Attorney General Opinions that conclude that dispersements of public funds must have a public purpose.