JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 14-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was arrested by the agency stemming from a Baker County warrant.
Corrections Officer Steven E. Bryant, 58, has been arrested on a charge of exploitation of the elderly- $50,000 or more.
The warrant issued by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and was served Friday morning by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Integrity Unit.
According to an arrest report, between October and December 2023, Bryant drove with his father to a bank in Macclenny to notarize and sign a quick claim document authorizing a sale of a Baker County property for $1. The home is valued at $350,000, the report said.
A witness told deputies the victim suffered from dementia and is "incompetent to make decisions financially or medically on a day-today basis." The witness, who is the victim's power attorney, also said Bryant had his father sign a revocation of the power of attorney on Dec. 6 in Baker County.
Bryant has been employed with the Jacksonville Sheriff Office for 14 years. JSO said he has been suspended without pay while the criminal case is pending.
This is the third arrest of a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office employee this year. In January, Romeo Kei was arrested on a domestic battery charge. Christopher Barr was arrested on Jan. 27 for using protective databases to "access and disseminate law enforcement information to unauthorized individuals," Sheriff T.K. Waters said.
The sheriff also said that there's a "strong possibility" that Barr's arrest is related to gang activity in Jacksonville.