VOLUSIA EXPOSED.COM
                   



Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson recently demoted two of his lieutenants, for separate acts of misconduct.

Were the internal affairs investigations adequately done?


Updated
March 19, 2012
"Beware the fury of a patient man"- Poet, John Dryden





Lt. Mike Odgers' demotion

NEW ARTICLE - UPDATE MARCH 19, 2012
Cara Odgers' criminal charges - to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest - should the prosecution of those charges been transferred to another judicial circuit?


Cara Odgers' evidence (pictures) that she too was a victim of domestic violence - see below link

In February 2012, Sheriff Ben Johnson demoted Lt. Mike Odgers for violations of agency policies to include, but not limited to, code of ethics violations, being inattentive to duties, and negligence.

Deputy Odgers had just been promoted to lieutenant in June of 2011.

We invite you to read the below Odgers demotion letter, and the supporting VCSO Internal Affairs' investigation into the incident. Reading both the demotion letter and the IA report will give the reader an appreciation of the VCSO's account of what apparently transpired.

Deputy Mike Odgers' letter of demotion

Deputy Mike Odgers' Internal Affairs Report

VolusiaExposed.Com has discovered that the "Odgers' Affair", as reported by the VCSO, did not happen in a vacuum. Although many of the following details appear absent in the official VCSO investigative account.

Deputy Odgers was experiencing martial difficulties, that would eventually lead to divorce proceedings. Deputy Odgers' spouse would be arrested several times, one arrest involved domestic violence, in which Deputy Odgers was the alleged victim. Mrs. Odgers would later send an email to Sheriff Johnson, in which she would allege, that Deputy Odgers used his law enforcement influences to have her arrested, and in avoiding his own arrest for domestic violence.

Further, it was discovered that Deputy Odgers was again allegedly victimized by Steven Eissler. Mr. Eissler was the spouse of the woman Deputy Odgers was having an apparent extra-martial affair with. Mr. Eissler was arrested, in the early morning hours of October 1, 2011, when he discovered his wife's car at Mr. Odgers' home. Apparently, Mr. Eissler had the belief that Mr. Odgers and his wife were romantically involved.

Shortly after Mr. Eissler's arrest the VCSO started their investigation into Lt. Odgers' activities. Although the official IA report does not mention the Eissler incident as being the catalyst for the internal affairs investigation, empirical evidence would suggest, that the Eissler arrest brought the Lt. Odgers' matter to the attention of the VCSO administration.

However, we ask you to note that much, if not all of the events attached to Cara Odgers' and Steven Eissler's arrests are not incorporated into the VCSO investigation. Why?

Arrest report 1 of 2 attached to the Odgers Affair

Arrest report 2 of 2 attached to the Odgers Affair

Cara Odgers' complaint to Sheriff Johnson

NEW - Cara Odgers' cell phone pictures that she says proves that she also was the victim of domestic abuse.



VolusiaExposed gives the Sheriff Department a grade of C minus on their handling of this investigation.

We support this rather low grade due to the following observations:

First, Lt. Odgers had been in his newly promoted position of lieutenant for over six months before his behaviors apparently came to the attention of the VCSO administration. According to the above IA report, the investigation did not start until late October 2011. Such calls into question if the upper administration of the VCSO are properly supervising newly promoted supervisors.

Second, VolusiaExposed.Com conducted it's own review of the Odgers Affair. We learned that several other witnesses were officially interviewed by VCSO personnel (sworn testimony secured) that are NOT mentioned in the VCSO official report. Thus, bringing credibility issues to the VCSO internal affairs investigation.

In fairness to the VCSO, the Odgers Affair was attached to two on going bitter divorces. Attempting to flush out fact from fiction in such highly emotionally charged circumstances is extremely difficult, at best.

In the end, VolusiaExposed.Com believes the VCSO investigation came up short, but at least the VCSO did attempt to address the issues, and took corrective disciplinary action. However, given the final IA report on Deputy Odgers, in which the sheriff questions his testimony, and coupling that with the fact that Lt. Odgers was in direct violation of his martial vows, Deputy Odgers' veracity now is in question. Therefore, he has earned a spot on our Brady Bunch List of troubled officers.

The Brady Bunch

------------------------------------------------


Lt. Brodie Hughes' demotion
Deputy Brodie Hughes' letter of demotion

Media article regarding the Lt. Hughes incident

Ironically, the VCSO is not the only Volusia County Law Enforcement agency that has had allegations of college cheating lodged against it.

Last November (2011), the City Manager of Edgewater was investigating allegations of college level plagiarism involving several police officers, to include the police chief.

NEW - DBNJ article of November 18, 2011 - Allegations of plagiarism within the EWPD

NEW - DBNJ article of March 04, 2012 - Allegations of plagiarism within the EWPD

Interestingly, at least one of the arresting officers attached to the ever expanding Deputy Odgers' incident, was also apparently attached to the plagiarism allegations.

VolusiaExposed.Com found this internal affairs investigation (Hughes) far more informative and forthright then the Odgers' investigation.

The VCSO appears to have acted swiftly and appropriately when Deputy Hughes' conduct came to their attention.

While many might hold the position that Deputy Hughes should have been terminated, we hold the position that the sheriff has the ability to apply his discretion. However, with that said - in the end, Sheriff Johnson has attached his credibility to that of Deputy Hughes. Judge Joseph Will recently said it best, in the case of Florida vs. David Beauprez (2011-35204 CFAES) - "A liar, after all, is a liar."

Florida v. David Beauprez

We give the VCSO a grade of B plus on their handling of this investigation. VolusiaExposed.Com would have assigned a grade of A, if we would have been able to confirm that the VCSO had sought the involvement of a State Attorney review, as the Edgewater PD did in their recent plagiarism scandal.

However, given the findings in Deputy Hughes' internal affairs investigation, we believe he has earned a spot on our Brady Bunch List of troubled officers.

The Brady Bunch