An Orange County deputy was arrested Tuesday on allegations he stole cash, credit cards and a wallet from a crime scene Sunday.
Deputies said the deputy, Joseph Haddad, responded to a burglary. The case evolved into a narcotics investigation in which the person who reported the burglary, Sammy Shehata, was arrested for allegedly possessing marijuana.
Shehata asked deputies if he could gather his belongings and while doing so noticed his wallet, $1,750 and credit cards were missing.
Shehata said Haddad was inside the house when he went to retrieve his things.
“He even said, ‘Well, I don’t have it.’ It’s not like I asked him if he had it,” Shehata said.
An investigation was launched against Haddad, and Osceola County deputies discovered the cards had been used in their jurisdiction.
Shehata said that, when he got out jail, he had notifications from his bank that his credit cards had been used, so he reported it to the sheriff’s office.
Osceola County deputies assisted with the investigation, which led to Haddad’s arrest after a search of his home.
He was booked into the Osceola County Jail on a grand theft charge.
According to the charging affidavit, Haddad and his wife were seen on camera using Shehata’s cards at Target and Walmart in Osceola County.
The report said they bought a baby crib, baby monitor, clothing, household goods and other baby supplies.
When questioned, Haddad told investigators he accidentally took the wallet while processing evidence and that it wasn’t until he got to Target that he realized he was using someone else’s credit card.
Haddad was relieved of duty without pay and was stripped of his law enforcement authority.
He was hired by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in April 2016.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings released a statement about the incident Wednesday.
“The facts in this case are troubling to me. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is not a place for a liar or thief to work. I am committed to ensuring that such individuals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that they will be fired.”
Cox Media Group
