SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida deputy who had been charged with evidence tampering to help another deputy will avoid prosecution if she completes a pre-trial diversion program.
The Herald-Tribune reported Monday on the deal 24-year-old Carson Lee Plank reached with Sarasota County prosecutors.
Officials say Plank was one of the first deputies to respond in January 2017 to the home of a 79-year-old woman who had accused Deputy Frankie Bybee of trying to kill her. Authorities say Bybee’s fingerprint had been found on checks totaling $65,000 that the victim said had been fraudulently signed.
Authorities say Plank failed to turn over evidence collected at the victim’s home and then called Bybee and told him about the investigation.
Bybee was sentenced last October to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and other charges.