A Rockledge firefighter was arrested Friday after he was accused of stealing jewelry he found inside a city vehicle during a vehicle extraction training exercise, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a news release.
- Rockledge battalion chief accused of stealing jewelry, selling it
- Jeffrey Hughey surrendered at Brevard County Jail
- FDLE began investigation in December
Jeffrey Hughey, 54, of Rockledge, surrendered at the Brevard County Jail. He is a battalion chief with the Rockledge Fire Department.
Hughey is accused of stealing more than $1,500 worth of jewelry he found inside a City of Rockledge vehicle during the training exercise, agents said.
The FDLE began its investigation in December at the request of Rockledge Police Chief Joseph LaSata and Tim Matson, the chief of the Rockledge Fire Department, after they both received information about the theft.
"We do not tolerate any criminal activity regardless of who breaks the law," LaSata said in a statement. "When these allegations were brought to our attention, we acted quickly, and the FDLE investigation resulted in this arrest. The Rockledge Police and Fire Departments work hard to establish trust in the community, and we will not allow anyone to compromise that."
Hughey allegedly kept the jewelry for several months before selling it, agents said. Investigators think the jewelry was sold for $1,000 to $2,000.