A detective with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has been fired and arrested after an internal investigation found she had been secretly using confidential law enforcement systems to gather information on her husband’s ex-wife.
Sheriff Patrick Breeden announced the arrest on Thursday, saying the case was one of the hardest decisions he has had to make since taking office. The sheriff’s office says the detective searched for information on her husband’s ex-wife and falsified records to justify the searches.
Internal Audit Uncovers the Misconduct
The internal audit, conducted on Thursday, July 23, identified irregular activity involving the detective’s use of multiple databases.
Investigators say she circumvented normal procedures to access systems including the Comprehensive Case Information System, the Flock Automated License Plate Recognition network, and the Driver and Vehicle Information Database, all in an effort to obtain information about her husband’s ex-wife.
The detective, identified as Brandy Almany, has been employed by the Sheriff’s Office since 2019. Investigators say she went on to create official electronic records, making it look like the searches were tied to real, ongoing investigations, when in fact they were not. Once confronted, Almany was interviewed and immediately taken off duty while the investigation continued.
Sheriff Breeden did not hold back when addressing the public. “As your sheriff, I’ve promised accountability and transparency. Today, I had to arrest one of my own for misuse of multiple law enforcement databases,” he said, adding that it was difficult to put into words how disappointed he was in the choices the detective made.
Flock Cameras Suspended Amid Wider Review
The fallout from the case has already reached beyond one employee. Breeden said he still believes these systems are valuable tools for law enforcement, but because of what happened, he ordered a full internal audit of every database the agency uses and suspended the use of Flock cameras altogether.
A criminal investigation was opened the same day the irregular activity was discovered. Almany now faces charges including official misconduct and multiple counts related to unauthorized computer access, and the case has been sent to the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit for further review. The agency says it is still waiting on additional audit results across its various database systems, which could lead to more charges down the line.
The case has sparked renewed conversation online about how much oversight exists for officers who have access to sensitive law enforcement tools, and whether current safeguards are enough to prevent similar abuses in other departments.
