Some of the nine Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies demoted or suspended following the February triple murder in Tamarac had been investigated in the past over allegations of sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming of an employee and other transgressions, newly released records show.
The former head of BSO’s Tamarac District, demoted after the shootings, had faced sexual harassment allegations that were later found “not sustained,” according to newly released Sheriff’s Office records, though he was recommended counseling for conduct unbecoming of an employee.
Other deputies now under investigation had previously been reprimanded over “discretion,” “technological communications,” and conduct unbecoming allegations, the records show. Some had no disciplinary history at all.
The records released Wednesday only provide brief overviews of the disciplinary history of the eight deputies and former captain, without the details of the allegations themselves. The South Florida Sun Sentinel submitted public records requests Wednesday for some of the cases, including the sexual harassment case, but has not yet received a response.
Sheriff Gregory Tony vowed to hold his deputies accountable following the shooting of Mary Gingles, her father, David Ponzer, and a neighbor, Andrew Ferrin, in Tamarac on Feb. 16. Mary Gingles had repeatedly sought help from the Sheriff’s Office, saying in a court petition that she believed her husband, Nathan Gingles, was going to kill her.
Seven of the deputies were placed on administrative leave with pay in the immediate aftermath. Then, last week, the captain who oversaw the district, Jemeriah Cooper, was demoted to deputy, and another deputy was placed on leave.
Cooper, who led the Tamarac district until his demotion, was previously investigated due to allegations of sexual harassment and conduct unbecoming of an employee stemming from an August 2019 case, his employee history record shows. While the sexual harassment allegation was not sustained, the conduct unbecoming allegation was. Cooper, who joined BSO in 2002, was recommended to attend counseling and Equal Employment Opportunity training, according to his record.
He also was investigated in 2010 over “safeguarding person and property in custody,” which was later sustained.
Sgt. Travis Allen, one of the seven deputies originally suspended, faced two complaints over “nonappearance” and a complaint over “technological communications” as well as “special detail employment,” all of which were sustained, according to his record. He also had two sustained allegations of preventable accidents. All of the complaints occurred in 2015 or earlier. Allen has 18 years of service with BSO.
Allen had responded to the scene of the triple shooting that morning and had spotted people matching the appearance of Nathan Gingles and Seraphine walking in the neighborhood from his car, according to a probable cause affidavit. Allen broadcasted over radio that he had seen a man and a barefoot girl, “however, due to the unknown circumstances of the call, deputies continued to canvass the area.”
Another of the suspended deputies, Daniel Munoz, was investigated over allegations of “discretion” and conduct unbecoming of an employee due to an incident in November 2021, both of which were sustained, requiring a written reprimand. Munoz also had a sustained allegation of a preventable car accident from 2020. He has 5 years of service with BSO.
Lt. Michael Paparella was investigated over allegations of “death or critical injury” in 2004, for which he was exonerated. He also had a sustained allegation of a preventable crash that same year. Paparella has 28 years of service with BSO.
Deputies Brittany King and Raul Ortiz, both also had sustained allegations of preventable crashes. King has 5 years of service with BSO. Information about Ortiz’ years of service was not available late Wednesday afternoon.
The other three deputies suspended, Sgt. Devoune Williams, Deputy Ilany Ceballos, and Civil Division Deputy Joseph Sasso, had no disciplinary history.
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