A deputy has been charged with stealing pills from a drop-off location at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Annex in The Villages.
Dennis Leon Turner, 57, is facing multiple drug and theft charges following his arrest Thursday in the wake of an investigation by the sheriff’s office’s Special Investigations Squad.
There was a suspicion that pills had disappeared from the pill drop-box at the sheriff’s annex at County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard. The contents of the pill drop-box, which is regularly used by community members to safely get rid of unwanted medication, were inventoried. A surveillance camera was set up at the pill drop-box.
Turner could be seen on camera entering the building and using a key to unlock the pill drop-box. He removed pills, including Oxycodone, and put the pills in the pocket of the pants, which are part of his uniform. The previous inventory indicated the number and type of pills which were taken.
Turner was initially hired in a civilian role in April 2019 before transitioning to the position of road patrol deputy in May 2023. For the past eight months, he had been working in the sheriff’s office’s Community Relations Department.
“I cannot adequately express the level of disappointment I feel — both personally and professionally — that this deputy chose to tarnish the star I entrusted to him. What I can tell you is that I will not tolerate this type of behavior within your Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Pat Breedon. “I will continue to demand the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability from the men and women of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.”
Turner was being held without bond at the Sumter County Detention Center.