CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A former Citrus County Sheriff's Office employee has been found guilty of leaking confidential information which may have put law enforcement officers' lives at risk.
Ashley Pate, a former crime scene specialist for the sheriff's office, was originally arrested on July 27, 2018, after detectives say a warrant was issued for one count of disclosure of confidential or criminal justice information.
Deputies say Pate had been employed as a sheriff's office employee since December 2007 and was fired on July 13 for violating five agency policies. Some of the violations included negligence and endangering of others, associating with criminals, interfering with official investigations, communication of confidential law enforcement information, and untruthfulness to an official inquiry.
She was arrested again and held without bond on March 21 after jurors found her guilty of disclosing confidential law enforcement information.
It was discovered that Pate had tipped off suspects about upcoming drug raids, leaving the sheriff's office empty-handed, the Citrus County Chronicle reports.
She was reportedly discovered as the source during a raid at Pate's mother's home that the sheriff's office set up without her knowledge. The sheriff's office received text messages addressed to her mother on a phone confiscated during the raid.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ashley Pate's actions were illegal, immoral, unethical, and reckless," Prendergast said. "She carelessly divulged confidential information that risked the lives of our law enforcement family, compromised the integrity of our criminal investigations and willingly aided criminal activity in our community. Today, after carefully considering the nature of the crime and the presentencing investigation report, Judge Howard delivered justice."
Pate was sentenced to be confined to her home for one year and a year's probation.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office provided the following statement:
"The Citrus County Sheriff's Office does not tolerate any type of criminal activity by employees, especially anything that jeopardizes the safety of our law enforcement officers or the integrity of what this agency has stood for over the past 131 years. Our deputies risk their lives every day to protect the citizens of Citrus County and will continue to do so upholding our core values: Integrity, Service above Self, and Loyalty Above All."
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