10-07-2008, 03:29 PM
Sheriff's Lieutenant Resigns In Lieu Of Charges
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By KYLE MARTIN
Hernando Today
Published: October 7, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - A sheriff's lieutenant opted to resign on Friday instead of facing criminal charges for accepting pay for hours he didn't work.
The State Attorney's Office completed its investigation into Robert Libengood last week with the option of charging him with grand theft and/or official misconduct. Libengood claimed 10 days of work, worth about $3,000 on his time cards, but did not physically work those hours, according to Assistant State Attorney Phil Hanson.
The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether it was "something done intentionally or negligently," Hanson said.
When Libengood submitted his resignation Friday, Hanson decided it was "appropriate" to drop the pending charges.
A copy of Libengood's resignation letter was unavailable Monday.
Sheriff Richard Nugent said the decision not to prosecute was entirely up to the State Attorney's Office.
He called the decision "very unusual," but added that the sheriff's office "didn't have any say in it. We were told that's what they were going to do."
Nugent explained that the days off were interspersed among approved time off that was spread out over nine months. Libengood was going through a tough time personally, so his supervisors initially didn't catch on to what was happening, Nugent said.
But the "checks and balances" system eventually caught up with Libengood and his superiors began investigating.
The sheriff said he denied Libengood's request for a payout of accrued sick time at the time of his resignation.
Hanson repeated that the lieutenant was going through a tough period in his life at the time of the alleged crime, and it was possible Libengood was "distracted." He added that Libengood had accrued the hours he took off, but he failed to officially document that he was using them.
Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.
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ADVERTISEMENT
By KYLE MARTIN
Hernando Today
Published: October 7, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - A sheriff's lieutenant opted to resign on Friday instead of facing criminal charges for accepting pay for hours he didn't work.
The State Attorney's Office completed its investigation into Robert Libengood last week with the option of charging him with grand theft and/or official misconduct. Libengood claimed 10 days of work, worth about $3,000 on his time cards, but did not physically work those hours, according to Assistant State Attorney Phil Hanson.
The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether it was "something done intentionally or negligently," Hanson said.
When Libengood submitted his resignation Friday, Hanson decided it was "appropriate" to drop the pending charges.
A copy of Libengood's resignation letter was unavailable Monday.
Sheriff Richard Nugent said the decision not to prosecute was entirely up to the State Attorney's Office.
He called the decision "very unusual," but added that the sheriff's office "didn't have any say in it. We were told that's what they were going to do."
Nugent explained that the days off were interspersed among approved time off that was spread out over nine months. Libengood was going through a tough time personally, so his supervisors initially didn't catch on to what was happening, Nugent said.
But the "checks and balances" system eventually caught up with Libengood and his superiors began investigating.
The sheriff said he denied Libengood's request for a payout of accrued sick time at the time of his resignation.
Hanson repeated that the lieutenant was going through a tough period in his life at the time of the alleged crime, and it was possible Libengood was "distracted." He added that Libengood had accrued the hours he took off, but he failed to officially document that he was using them.
Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.
Reader Comments