Deputy Paid $1K For Overtime He Didn't Work: Sarasota County Sheriff

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — A Sarasota County deputy faces charges for being paid more than $1,000 for overtime details he wasn’t present at, authorities said.

Preston Hines was charged with scheme to defraud, a third-degree felony, according to a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office news release.

He was placed on administrative leave Sept. 25 following an investigation that he was paid $1,051.38 for overtime details that he didn’t actually work, the agency said.

Since April, Hines has been assigned 10 overtime details at various locations throughout the county. While he documented that he worked the assignments for the contracted and required timeframe, investigators found that he routinely arrived late and left early.

At times, Hines was documented arriving 15 to 20 minutes after the contracted start time and leaving several hours before the details ended, the sheriff’s office said.

He worked for the agency from August 2020 to October of this year and was assigned to the patrol bureau.

“The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office holds its employees to a high standard of conduct and behavior. The actions demonstrated by Mr. Hines do not reflect the vision of the agency or its values of integrity, respect, service and fairness,” the agency said. “As such, the sheriff’s office recognizes the importance of informing the public of our commitment to the community and to ensure we strictly adhere to those values.”