A Jackson County, Florida deputy sheriff who "found" baggies of illegal drugs during dozens of traffic stops has been indicted on 24 more charges for a total of 76.
Zachary Wester's behavior was as egregious as his crimes. In one case, he sang a Christmas song while going through a vehicle, explaining that it would be amusing for bored jurors. He then "found" methamphetamines and arrested the driver for possession.
The man lost his job and had to "pretty much sell everything I had that was worth anything to keep a roof over my head....I couldn’t find a job because nobody wanted to hire somebody with a fresh meth arrest.”
In another appalling case, Wester arrested a woman for drug possession -- and child endangerment -- simply because she had children in the car when he planted the evidence. Imagine the grief and trouble that caused for her family.
Why did Wester do it? For fun? To set some kind of a record?
Rumors of bad arrests prompted an investigation in August 2018. At one point, the investigators searched Wester's vehicle -- the article doesn't say whether it was his personal or police vehicle -- and found 42 pieces of drug paraphernalia, 10 baggies of meth and five baggies of marijuana. Wester was arrested in July 2019. He was also fired.
Of some 300 cases that were investigated, 120 people had charges dropped.
There had to be some officers who were letting Wester get by with a wink and a nod. The article mentions one other deputy who was on the job with Wester when he planted evidence.
At least Florida's Department of Law Enforcement wasn't about to let it slide. We'll see what happens when Wester's case goes to court.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/04/27/accused-drug-planting-deputy-slapped-two-dozen-new-charges/4852722001/?fbclid=IwAR1v1GBghUVnLvZX_InVOG992oolDZaIgzz8OtaLzx_Lvi2jI6_PboU7WVI
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