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Palm Beach County School District police officer arrested on burglary charges

By Jerome Burdi | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 4, 2009

A law enforcement veteran with more than a decade as a police officer was arrested Monday on a slew of charges including burglary, grand theft and credit card fraud, records show.

Palm Beach County School District Police Officer Jonathan Kelly, 35, was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on allegations he worked as "partners" in a fraudulent enterprise with a former student he met when he worked at Olympic Heights High School, west of Boca Raton Click here for restaurant inspection reports.

Kelly is a former Delray Beach police officer who has worked with the district since 2002 and has a clean record, school officials said. Deputies say he worked in concert with two 18-year-olds. Kelly stole the goods, one of the teens sold the items on Web sites and the other teen used some stolen credit cards to buy merchandise, deputies said.

According to the Sheriff's Office arrest report: The investigation began in early January after a 2008 Toyota Highlander was burglarized. Awoman, 51, left the car unlocked in the 8200 block of Stage Coach Lane, west of Boca Raton. The thieves stole an $800 global positioning system unit, $200 iPod, $2,000 Armani glasses and several credit cards.

Days later, Boca Raton police said they found one of the teens, Daniel Farias-Elisha, 18, of Sarasota, and linked him to the theft. Police discovered several Western Union money transfers that connected the teen to Kelly, of Lake Worth. Investigators said they also found e-mails between the two describing agreements to sell the goods.

"Elisha stated that Kelly steals the items during residential and vehicle burglaries," the report read. "It is his job to list the items for sale via Craigslist and eBay."

Elisha was charged with dealing in stolen property. Jason Bransdorf, 18, of Boca Raton, was charged with credit card fraud and larceny. Shortly after the January theft, Kelly asked Elisha to use a stolen credit card to buy an iPod and a pair of white sneakers for his wife's birthday, investigators said.

Efforts to reach Kelly were unsuccessful Tuesday despite several attempts by phone.

School District spokesman Nat Harrington said none of the thefts occurred while Kelly was on duty or on school property. Kelly most recently worked at John L. Leonard High School in Greenacres. He is suspended with pay as the investigation continues, Harrington said.

Kelly, who worked at the Delray Beach Police Department from 1997 to 2000, left for personal reasons, authorities said.

Jerome Burdi can be reached

at jburdi@SunSentinel.com

or 561-243-6531.