BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say two former Tampa Bay area police employees have been charged with stealing more than $20,000 from the Bradenton Police Department's evidence room.
Local news outlets report that the married couple, Jake and Cynthia Zaagman, turned themselves in Wednesday at the Manatee County Jail. They each face multiple counts of scheming to defraud.
Jake Zaagman retired as the department's civilian administrator in 2015. Cynthia Zaagman retired as the department's administrative services and budget coordinator in February 2016, when an investigation was launched following an internal audit.
The department's internal affairs division and the FBI discovered that the thefts had occurred over five years from 2011 to 2015. Authorities say the money was taken from seizure and forfeiture funds, which were managed by Jake Zaagman and audited by Cynthia Zaagman.
Jail records didn't list attorneys for the Zaagmans.
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