CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels was suspended by Governor Ron Desantis last week, but he is still running for re-election and on the ballot.
On Thursday Daniels was arrested after turning himself in, he faces 4 charges including felony tampering with evidence and making false reports to police.
Over the weekend, a 50-page Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigative summary laid out his charges stem from allegedly asking his deputies to arrest his former mistress Cierra Smith on May 20th, 2019.
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Police say Daniels accused her of stalking him, a claim she denied, Smith was never arrested.
The two had an affair that began in 2013, when Smith worked under Daniels at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The report details through Cash app, Smith received more than $30,000 from Daniels.
The FDLE said Daniels asked employees on to use a law enforcement database to contact Armeshia Johnson.
Johnson told investigators Daniels reached out to her with sexually suggestive messages, but she did not know how he got her information.
“This guy knew my VIN number, he knew where I worked, he knew everything,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she did not know Daniels personally, just that he was dating Cierra Smith, her boyfriend’s ex-wife.
Daniels denied directing employees to look up information about anyone.
Investigators said Daniels also deleted 12 calls, along with texts, photos and internet searches from his CCSO issued cell phone, and requested a new cell phone June 4 2019.
The report said Daniels quote, “attempted to destroy relevant information contained on his CCSO issued cell phone.”
Cox Media Group
