September 18, 2009
For more information contact:
Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Dixie A. Morrow
(850) 444-4000
FORMER OKALOOSA COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IMPRISONMENT
FOR FEDERAL CONSPIRACY, THEFT, AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES
Pensacola, Florida – Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District
of Florida, announced today the sentencing of former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Director of Administration Teresa Adams, 50, of Niceville, Florida. Appearing before Senior United States District Judge Lacey A. Collier on May 22, 2009, Adams confessed her guilt to each of the six federal crimes charged by an indictment returned in April 2009: conspiracy to commit theft of programs receiving Federal funds, by converting to their own use and the use of others property and funds of Okaloosa County and of the Sheriff’s Department (Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 - Count One); stealing, fraudulently obtaining, converting to the use of others, and misapplying over $5,000 of those funds (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666, - Counts Two, Three); conspiracy to commit money laundering (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(i), (B)(i), and (B)(ii) - Count Four); engaging in monetary transactions and property derived from specified unlawful activity (money laundering) (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1957, 2 - Count Five); and conspiracy to commit theft of honest services by means of wire fraud (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 - Count Six). Senior United States District Judge Lacey A. Collier sentenced Adams to 36 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on each count of conviction, to run concurrently. Adams was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $212, 537.94. Senior Judge Collier further ordered forfeiture in the amount of $194, 002.00
Evidence proved that while the incumbent Sheriff of Okaloosa County, Charles W. (“Charlie”) Morris, 59, of Shalimar, Florida and his then-Director of Administration and Finance and co-defendant, Adams, created fictitious bonuses to sheriff’s department employees. Sheriff’s Office employees were directed to return all or a portion of the bonuses in the form of cash and cashier’s checks under the pretense that these returned funds were to be used for charitable purposes.
The indictment, guilty plea and sentencing resulted from an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall J. (Randy) Hensel.