FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FRIDAY - July 30, 2010

FORMER CARTERET COUNTY DEPUTIES PLEAD GUILTY

TO EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES

GREENVILLE - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday two former deputies with the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office have pled guilty regarding charges surrounding the misuse of drug funds. FRANK WILLIAM GALIZIA, 59, of Morehead City, North Carolina, and BOYCE WAYNE FLOYD, JR., 48, of Cedar Point, North Carolina, each pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge David W. Daniel to aiding and abetting the embezzlement and the intentional misapplication of drug funds from Carteret County, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666 and 92.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on April 16, 2010.

According to the Indictment, Carteret County allocates a specific amount of funds in their annual budget to fund drug investigations. These funds, held in the county checking account, may be obtained by the Sheriff’s Office as needed. A request form, signed by the requesting detective and the Sheriff, must be submitted to obtain the funds. After the Finance Department approves the request and cuts the check, the check is then given to the requesting detective, who must then have the Sheriff sign the check before it is cashed by the detective.

The Indictment further alleges that from 2005 to 2006, GALIZIA and FLOYD along with two co-defendants requested funds totaling $99,925, which the then-Sheriff, Ralph Thomas, approved. After GALIZIA, the former Chief Deputy, cashed the check, he would bring the cash to Thomas, who would take 25% to 50% of the funds. When the drug detectives would complain that they were receiving less than the full amount, GALIZIA would remark that “Daddy had to get his cut.”

In 2006, FLOYD made two requests for drug funds, totaling $8,000. FLOYD provided a portion of this money to Thomas, knowing that Thomas would embezzle it.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Bragdon represented the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.