Former deputy now faces 25 criminal charges

A former Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy is now facing more than 20 criminal charges as officials dig further into his alleged exploitation of a 79-year-old Sarasota woman.

Frankie E. Bybee was charged with six new felonies late Tuesday night, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The new charges include four counts of criminal use of of personal identification and two counts of accessing a computer or electronic devise without authority.

During a first appearance Wednesday, a judge set Bybee’s bond for the new charges at $9,000, according to the sheriff’s office.

Bybee faces 19 other charges and is being held in the Sarasota County Jail on bonds totaling $380,120. His bond on previous charges was lowered from $1,030,000 to $365,620 in a court appearance Tuesday.

He was arrested in January after washe first charged with attempted murder, along with several other felony charges, stemming from allegations that he attempted to “rehome” the woman’s dog and broke into her home. He’s also accused of trying to force sleeping pills down her throat. The dog has since been reunited with the owner.

Eleven other charges against Bybee were announced Tuesday, as the sheriff’s office released surveillance video of Bybee allegedly going into stores, using the 79-year-old woman’s credit or debit card, and walking out with cash in hand. Those charges included 10 counts of criminal use of personal identification and one count of accessing a computer or electronic device without authority.

An ongoing investigation revealed he allegedly made at least 12 purchases using the elderly Sarasota woman’s credit or debit card, cashed checks worth more than $60,000 and accepted more than $100,000 in exchange for sex with another woman.

Bybee also worked for the Bradenton Police Department from September 1996 to December of 1998. He was terminated from his position with the sheriff’s office Jan. 31.

The investigation continues.

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Former deputy now faces 25 criminal charges."