News

Former Florida sheriff attempted to illegally profit from crime fighting kiosks

October 18, 2016

Former Sheriff Chris Blair of Marion County, Florida recently attempted to illegally profit from a crime fighting kiosk company. The kiosks, which were designed to provide crime tips and information, were also public safety hazards, according to a report by Wink News.

Blair and his chief of staff Fred LaTorre broke several department policies by paying for 100 kiosks. Blair purchased the kiosks from OFAB, a manufacturer that contributed to Blair's re-election campaign. Blair used funds from the Crime Prevention Fund to pay for the kiosks.

The kiosks were hazardous to the public, since the monitors had been removed from their housing and mounted directly inside the kiosks, which posed an electrical shock and fire risk, according to the report.

Blair will likely not face charges for this action, since he took a deferred prosecution plea deal last year to resolve a perjury charge. The deal stipulated that prosecutors could not pursue other charges related to Blair's time as a sheriff.