The Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint in January about a deputy taking money during a traffic stop.
The department immediately placed Tyrese Jackson on administrative leave as detectives from the Major Crimes Unit investigated.
“It disgusts me when one of the people I consider a family member betrays the trust of the great residents of Lee County and tarnishes the badge,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
LCSO told the media that detectives reviewed approximately 120 hours of body camera footage to determine if evidence existed to confirm the claims.
The sheriff’s office said it discovered several incidents involving multiple victims where Jackson conducted traffic stops with the intent of getting money out of drivers he didn’t believe would report him.
The department also accused Jackson of manipulating his camera during the interactions.
The sheriff’s office also said there seemed to be a trend among Jackson’s victims as many were Hispanic, had little to no ID, and didn’t speak much English.
It also said Jackson wasn’t given a body camera until 17 months into working at the Sheriff’s Office.
“Jackson will be held accountable for his actions,” added the Sheriff.
Detectives contacted the people in the videos and said their statements furthered investigators’ belief that criminal activity took place.
On Feb. 8, Jackson resigned from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, where he had been employed since July of 2022. He moved to Maryland.
Detectives from the Fugitive Warrants Unit worked with authorities in Maryland. The former deputy was taken into custody and extradited to Lee County, where he faced felony charges of official misconduct and scheme to defraud.