Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 3-26-21

Polk County Crime
Three Deputies Arrested For Evidence Tampering
Three Polk County depu- ties have been arrested and resigned from their jobs. The three are accused of tampe- ring with evidence.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place on March 19th. The incident began when a suspect was arrested on December 21, 2020, who inquired about personal pro- perty on March 15th.
On March 15th, the uni- dentified woman requested that her personal property, a cell phone and $723 in cash be returned to her. At that time, supervisors were aler- ted to the missing property.
The arrest took place in Winter Haven after she was pulled over by Deputy John Raczynsjki, who conducted a search of her ve- hicle. He reportedly found narcotics and cash. Deputy Jamal Lawson and De- puty Garrett Cook were backup units.
Deputy Racynski docu- mented in the arrest report that in addition to the narco- tics, the driver was found to have a large amount of cash in her pocket.
As a result of the cash, the woman was charged with possession of narcotics with the intent to sell.
Two days later, Deputy Racynski placed 13 items in evidence. The money was not listed on the inventory list. It was also not logged in as the arrestee’s property at the jail.
After discovering the money was missing, Deputy Racynski allegedly called a Property & Evidence Clerk and advised her of the mis- sing money. She attempted to locate it, but was unsuc- cessful. She then reported the incident to her supervi- sor, who contacted Deputy
JOHN RACZYNSKI
Racynski’s supervisor. Deputy Racynski told his supervisor that the money was discovered mis- sing during the transfer of evidence from one vehicle to the other. He also said that he and Deputy Lawson had intended to replace the money themselves. They never replaced the money,
police said.
Deputy Racynski was
told to take no further action and an Internal Affairs inves- tigation began at that time.
On March 15th, Deputy Racynski contacted De- puty Lawson and Deputy Lawson sent him $500 via CashApp. The plan was for Deputy Racynski to pro- vide the additional $223 and submit it as property. When that attempt failed, Deputy Lawson asked that his $500 be returned to him via Cas- hApp. Deputy Cook was re- portedly aware of the plan to replace the money and knew it was not right, but took no steps to prevent it.
Deputy Lawson was charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with evi- dence for conspiring with Cook and Racynski in un- lawful tampering or fabrica- ting evidence; official
JAMAL LAWSON
misconduct, for knowingly and intentionally causing another person to falsify an official record to cover up the loss of evidence; and tampe- ring or fabricating evidence, by transferring money to Ra- cynski via the CashApp, knowing it was to be unlaw-
GARRETT COOK
fully submitted as evidence. Deputy Racynski was charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with evi- dence for conspiring with Cook and Lawson in un- lawful tampering or fabrica- ting evidence; official misconduct, for knowingly
and intentionally causing another person to falsify an official record to cover up the loss of evidence; tampering or fabricating evidence, by obtaining money to submit into evidence, knowing it was to be unlawfully submitted; forgery, for forging another deputy’s signature to his re- port; and uttering a forged instrument for publishing as true a false and forged re- cord.
Deputy Cook was char- ged with conspiracy to com- mit tampering with evidence for conspiring with Lawson and Racynski in unlawful tampering or fabricating evi- dence.
All three were booked into the Polk County Jail and released. The charges against the woman who was arrested were dropped.
FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY PAGE 11-A