TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Six members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office command staff have either resigned or been fired as the result of an ongoing investigation into academic integrity.
Captains to colonels and even the chief deputy were all a part of the investigation.
The scandal started when the wife of former Chief Deputy Anthony Collins wrote members of the sheriff’s office, saying she had proof in the form of emails and texts that her husband had used one person to complete coursework in career advancement training classes.
The revelation started an investigation that has resulted in the resignations and terminations of other members of the command staff.
Retired FBI Special Agent Jill Stillman said it calls into question the integrity of those involved.
“We are held to a higher level and if you go in and you cheat, cheating is cheating,” said Stillman.
The integrity issues could harm future court cases for the sheriff’s office, if members of the command staff are called as witnesses.
“A defense attorney would be within their right to attack their ability to testify truthfully and with their candor with the information that has been made publicly available,” said Tampa Attorney Chris Castillo, who is a former prosecutor for the Hillsborough County State Attorney.
He said under a court ruling known as Brady V. Maryland, prosecutors must also reveal the integrity issue before any of the command staff members are called to testify in any case.
However, Castillo said he’s not concerned about the sheriff’s office as a whole.
“It’s concerning I think for the public generally, but I know the sheriff’s office is a very large organization and Hillsborough County is one of the largest in the States and I know and I’ve worked with a lot of members of the Sheriff’s office, so I know they are not in any short supply of folks with integrity over there,” said Castillo.
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