Liberty county sheriff arrested for official misconduct

Inspectors with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Liberty county sheriff Nicholas Lee Finch, on Tuesday on charges of official misconduct.

Sheriff Finch, who was elected Liberty County Sheriff in 2012, was arrested late Tuesday afternoon by officers with the FDLE Office of Executive Investigations.  

Investigators allege that Finch destroyed or removed official arrest documents from the Liberty County Jail, making it appear as though an arrest never occurred. 

The investigation revealed that a Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested a Liberty County resident on March 8^th for carrying a concealed firearm, a third degree felony. 

Shortly after the suspect was booked into the Liberty County Jail, Finch allegedly released the suspect and altered or destroyed documents associated with his arrest.  

Finch was arrested just after 5 p.m. Tuesday and was booked into the Liberty County Jail. 

He was released on his own recognizance. 

The State Attorney’s Office, 2^nd Judicial Circuit will prosecute this case. 

Governor Rick Scott has appointed Carl Causey as Interim Sheriff of Liberty County.

Carl Causey, of Gulf Breeze, has been the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Pensacola Region of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement since 2010.

Causey’s term began Tuesday and ends on July 4th.

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