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Hernando Today

Charges To Be Dropped Against Leto's Secretary

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: February 25, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - A county employee accused of falsifying documents for roughly $9,300 in overtime pay was diverted into a court-supervised program on Friday.

Stephanie Anderson's felony charges were at the heart of last year's shakeup at the county's emergency management department. When the dust settled, former director Tom Leto was fired and the sheriff's office assumed command of the department.

A criminal investigation uncovered evidence that Anderson claimed overtime pay on days when she was actually out of the office. Her supervisor, Leto, claimed he had no knowledge of the 380 hours Anderson allegedly charged to her paycheck.

A warrant was issued last April for Anderson's arrest on felony charges of official misconduct and grand theft. She turned herself into the Sumter County Jail.

On Friday, Anderson entered into the pre-trial intervention program, a period of court supervision typically allowed to first-time offenders. If she follows the program requirements the charges will be dropped at the end of her PTI program.

The standard length of PTI is 18 months, but often prosecutors will agree to end the sentence early once restitution is paid, said Assistant State Attorney Mark Simpson.

How much Anderson owes is still being calculated, but Simpson said $9,300 is a ballpark figure.

There are no charges expected against Leto or anyone else tied to the investigation. Obviously, as a supervisor Leto should have known what was happening, but there was nothing to "substantiate" criminal charges, Simpson said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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