Two sheriff's office employees let go

By BRAD ****ERSON

Highlands Today

Published: May 12, 2009

SEBRING - Two veteran Highlands County Sheriff's Office employees were recently dismissed from service following allegations of theft and burglary.

Lt. Gus Garcia, who handles internal affairs investigations, said Deputy Levon Stukes and Detective Lt. Anthony Bateman, both with the detention bureau, were dismissed on May 5.

According to allegations, Bateman and Stukes were selling recyclable items, such as scrap metal, that weekend work release workers were picking up alongside roads and putting in a sheriff's office depot. The county would then pick up the scraps for recycling, Garcia said.

"(Bateman) went out there with Stukes and got the items that were set aside for recycling, and then (they) would go up to Lakeland or Lake Wales to a scrap metal place and sell it," Garcia said.

Stukes was also accused of failing to process or carry out a court order.

The allegations were presented to the state attorney's office, which decided not to proceed with criminal charges due to insufficient evidence, Garcia said.

The dismissals came after an internal affairs investigation and a recommendation to let go of the two.

Last September, Stukes was suspended for two days without pay after failing to follow procedures dealing with the jail's weekend work release program.

Program participants have to pay a $5 fee when they show up for a work assignment and are required to sign a sign-in sheet for each day of work.

Stukes was accepting a lump sum payment in a money order for several days of work and was not getting the sheets signed.

"The integrity of the weekend work release program has been severely compromised," wrote Judge Anthony Ritenour in an Oct. 1 letter to the sheriff's office.

Ritenour would not allow inmates to serve time in the work release program until changes were implemented.

Following an October meeting between Ritenour, the sheriff's office and the clerk of court's office, the program was again up and running.

Garcia said in his four-and-a-half years with the sheriff's office, this is his first investigation involving Bateman.

It is so sad when you think you know someone and then find out they are not who you thought they were. How are you supposed to trust anyone anymore??

What's really wrong though is when an officer has a clean record for 16 years, has been totally dedicated to his job. Follows the books to the point that people didn't like to work with him because he was so set on doing things by the book. Had a clean track record outside and inside the Sheriffs office and because he decides to be honest and speak the truth he was terminated.Talk about stabbing your own people in the back, where did it pay off to be a good officer in this instance. Instead by choice of the Sheriff , because he was honest they "assumed" guilt all the way around. Of anyone who knows Bateman ,they know these accusations are ridiculous. Good ol Sheriffs office then proceeds to try and charge them criminally , which was unfounded and tossed out by the States Attorney. So, that being not good enough, the IA continues on it's venture and decides to terminate for reasons of unethical and moral behavior, using his position to gain access to range (in which Stukes called him to swing by with stukes trailer) twice. Bateman never denied stopping by and picking up what ended up being about 75.00 worth of metal from Stukes at the range, Bateman has always been honest because he cared about his job, did he make a poor judgement call, yes, but not worthy of loosing his job. Of course to top that off, not only did they terminate him unjustly, but he couldn't even recieve unemployment ( I'm sure this caused great hardship on his family) ,and was pretty detrimental period. Now they are trying to have there Standards pulled and the information given to the FDLE was totally twisted and presented falsely (even though there's paperwork to back up the truth). I don't understand how people can lay there heads down on there pillow and not have a conscience. This case is one of many I'm sure. Bateman made one bad decision and it cost him his career. May all of you watch your back. May God have mercy on the ones who play Judge over these hard workers. God is the vendicator and man reaps what he sow. I pray in the future for anyone that is wrongfully done. May God bless you double. Everyone else needs to pray for your enemies and bless them and let God handle it. Unreal is all I have to say...Unreal and to Bateman and his family..God Bless you for hanging in there and sucking it up , may God be on your side.