FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Five of more than a dozen Broward Sheriff’s Office employees suspected of fraudulently applying for and receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans appeared in court Thursday to be arraigned on federal charges.
A sixth employee had her arraignment reset for next week.
PPP loans were established during the COVID pandemic to help various businesses and the self-employed continue to pay their workers as COVID restrictions limited how much of the economy could operate.
A total of 17 employees, who work as either sworn law enforcement BSO deputies or jailers, face federal charges.
Those who were arraigned in court Thursday were Deputy Alexandra Acosta, Marcus Powell , Deputy Allen Dorvil, Ancy Morancy and Carolyn Wade.
They all entered not guilty pleas and requested a trial by jury.
Katrina Brown had her arraignment reset to next week so she could secure an attorney.
The 17 charged collectively took just under $500,000 from the federal government, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said earlier this month.
Sheriff Gregory Tony told reporters that all of the charged employees are in the process of being fired.
“We still have to follow proper protocols and since these are protected members with union rights and other different statutory obligations from the investigation practices that we have to follow, but I’m not going to sugarcoat or dance around this — at the end of the day, they will be gone,” Tony said.
Tony said some of those charged were “good officers.”
“But you are only as good as the last act and conduct that you execute,” he noted.