© Internal Affairs Unit Investigation 18-1005 To: Chief Deputy Garry Wilson From: Lieutenant Steve Sessoms Date: February 5, 2019 Subject: Intemal Investigation of Deputies Veronica O’Brien and Caitlyn Tighe Basis for Investigation: On November 30, 2018, Brian Williams, a detective with the Gwinnett County Sheriffs Office in Georgia contacted Sergeant Deron Brown in our Internal Affairs Office about an inmate in their county jail. Detective Williams said Inmate Dustin Shepard was apparently speaking to a Deputy we have working with us in our Department of Detention. Detective Williams gave Sergeant Brown the name of Veronica O’Brien and said he believed she is a deputy for our agency based on jail phone calls. Detective Williams sent us the audio recordings of the 242 jail phone calls (Over 53 hours) between Veronica O’Brien and Inmate Dustin Shepard. Sergeant Brown was able to verify that we did have a Deputy Veronica O’Brien who worked for our agency in the Department of Detention and Inmate Dustin Shepard was recently in our custody before being transported to Georgia for several violent felony charges. We began listening to these jail phone calls between Deputy V. O’Brien and Inmate Shepard and noticed several of them had a third person (female) on the phone via three way calling. Deputy O’Brien identified this female as her partner”. During one of the calls this female identifies herself as Caitlyn Tighe. Caitlyn Tighe is, also a deputy in the Department of Detention. During these calls Deputy Tighe makes statements that she is also speaking to another inmate in the St. Lucie County Jail. Through investigation we were able to identify the inmate Deputy Tighe was speaking to as Inmate Sean Zambrano. We verified Deputy Tighe had set up a trac-phone also known as a bumer phone so she could speak to Inmate Zambrano. Two hundred and twenty-six (226) phone calls which is (Over 68 hours) between Deputy Tighe and Inmate Zambrano over a thirty-four (34) day period were located. Chief Deputy Garry Wilson authorized an Internal Investigation into the matter. The actions of Deputies Veronica O’Brien and Caitlyn Tighe, if proven, are a viol 7.1.47 ASSOCIATION WITH CRIMINALS. To preserve the confidence of the public and to avoid the appearance of impropriety, members of this agency shall not associate with criminals. In particular Sheriff's Office members shall not associate with or have contact with ‘any person whom they know or reasonably should know are convicted felons, or who is under eriminal investigation, or indiciment or sentence, or who is Page 1 of 40incarcerated in any local, state or federal correctional facility, unless such person is a member of the immediate family. For the purpose of this policy, immediate family includes spouse, parents, grandparents, siblings children, and father-inlaw ‘or mother-in-law, or as authorized by the Sheriff. However, all members are required to report, in writing, through the chain of command to the Sheriff their contact and relationship with any person who is under criminal investigation or indictment, or sentence including probation, or who is incarcerated in any local, state or federal correctional facility, even if such person is a member of the immediate family. (Violation subject to two (2) 0 five (5) days suspension.) 7.1.65 CODE OF ETHICS FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES Sheriff's Office members shall strictly adhe to the Code of Ethics and Cannon of Law Enforcement Ethies, and shall not violate the Code of Ethies for public officers and employees as set forth in Florida law. (Violation subject to dismissal.) 7.1.67 CONDUCT UNBECOMING Sheriff's Office members shall not engage in conduct unbecoming. Conduct unbecoming is any conduct which adversely affects the morale, operations, or of the Sheriff's Office, or any conduct which has a tendency to efficier adversely affect, lower, or destroy public respect and confidence in the Sheri Office or the member, Conduct unbecoming also includes any conduct ¥ ich brings the Sheriff's Office member imo disrepute or brings diseredit upon the member or Sheriff's Office. Members shall conduct themselves at all times, both on and off duty, in such a manner so as to reflect most favorably on the Sheriff's Office (Violation subject to dismissal.) Summary of Events: Date Activity Involved Person Exhibit December 12, 2018 | Authorization memo V.O. Chief Wilson A December 19, 2018 | Authorization memo C.T. Chief Wilson A [December 26, 2018 | Recorded first interview* Deputy M. Flowers B January 2,2019 | Recorded second interview* Retired Deputy Canales B January 2, 2019 | Recorded third interview* Nurse Heidi Nievez. B January 2, 2019 | Recorded forth interview* Nurse Nerline Neal B January 3, 2019 | Recorded fifth interview* ‘Sergeant C. Lamm B January 3, 2019 | Recorded sixth interview* Deputy J. Keefe B January 4.2019 Recorded seventh interview* Deputy A. Lalama B January 4, 2019 | Recorded eighth interview* Deputy M. Wright B January 8, 2019 | Recorded ninth interview* Lt. B. Buchko B January 8, 2019 __| Recorded tenth interview* Mental Health Ms. T, Nathaniel | B. January 8, 2019 | Recorded eleventh interview* Deputy A. Roop B January 8, 2019 Recorded twelfth interview* Lt. D. O’Brien B ‘January 8, 2019 | Recorded thirteenth interview* | Sergeant C. Badger B January 9, 2019 | Recorded fourteenth interview* | Deputy Morgan B Page 2 of 40January 9, 2019 | Recorded fifteenth interview* Li, McMahon B January 18,2019 | Recorded sixteenth interview* | Inmate Logan Fulford B January 24,2019 | Recorded swom interview* Deputy Veronica O°Brien B January 30, 2019 | Recorded swom interview* | Deputy Caitlyn Tighe B December 21, 2018 | Administrative Documents Deputy Veronica. Obrien Cc December 21, 2018 | Administrative Documents Deputy Caitlyn Tighe c January 2019 ‘Gwinnett County SO Jail Calls | Deputies V. Obrien & C. Tighe | D January 2019 ‘Gwinnett Co. SO text/email/phone | Deputies Veronica Obrien E January 2019 ‘St. Lucie County SO Jail Calls Deputy Caitlyn Tighe F ‘January 2019 IPay Text/Email DOC Deputy Caitlyn Tighe G January 2019 Miscellaneous Documents Deputies V. Obrien & C. Tighe | H January 2019 ‘Audio Recordings / Video Deputies V. Obrien & C. Tighe [I *The interview was transcribed and is attached Investigative Summary On November 30, 2018, Brian Williams, a detective with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office in Georgia contacted Sergeant Deron Brown in our Internal Affairs Office about an inmate I who was talking to a deputy who works for our sheriff's office. During the investigations we discovered Deputy Veronica 0” Brien who works in the Department of Detention had received 242 jail phone calls (over 53 hours) from Inmate Dustin Shepard. Inmate Du: Shepard was released from the St. Lucie County Jail on September 13, 2018 and was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia to face several felony charges. Some of the charges he had pending in Georgia include: Home Invasion, Kidnapping, Terroristic Threats and Aggravated Assault along with other charges. After listening to some of these phone calls it appeared that Deputy O’Brien and Inmate Shepard were involved in a romantic relationship based on the number of “I love you" statements they said to each other. During phone calls Deputy Veronica O’Brien and Inmate Shepard discussed getting married and living together when Inmate Shepard is released from jail or prison. Deputy O’Brien let Inmate Shepard speak to her daughter and was also speaking to family members of Inmate Shepard. We also established that Deputy V. O’Brien knew or should have known that Inmate Sean Zambrano and Dustin Shepard had a weapon, used for culting, in his possession and was not properly taking their prescription medication while in custody at the St. Lucie County Jail. During a review of the phone calls between Deputy V. O'Brien and Inmate Shepard a third person who was female that Deputy O’Brien identified as her “partner”. In later phone calls Inmate ‘Shepard calls this female “Tighe” and this female tells Shepard to call her “Caitlyn”. Caitlyn Tighe is also a detention deputy for the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Tighe and Deputy O’Brien work together in the medical unit at the Department of Detention as partners. During some of these phone calls Deputy Tighe spoke about a getting a trac-phone (burner phone) so she could speak to Sean who appeared to also be an inmate. Through investigation we were able to positively entify the male as Inmate Sean Zambrano and retrieve 226 jail phone calls (over 68 hours) between them in a 34 day period. Deputy Tighe was also tied to an additional forty (40) three-way phone calls between Deputy Obrien and Inmate Dustin Shepard. During these jail phone calls we established there was a relationship between Inmate Sean Zambrano and Deputy Caitlyn Tighe, We also established that Deputy Tighe knew or should have known that Inmate Sean Zambrano Page 3 0f 40