A Clay County probationary deputy has been fired after a man arrested last year claimed $4,000 in cash went missing while he was in custody, according to First Coast News.
The sheriff’s office said the deputy violated its code of conduct, though no criminal charges have been filed.
The allegations stem from the September 2024 arrest of Willie Davis Jr., who was taken into custody in Orange Park. Deputies said Davis had struck a vehicle in a parking lot and appeared to be under the influence. At the time, Davis was carrying $6,900 in cash.
According to Davis’ attorney, Dan Faherty, only $2,900 was deposited into his jail account that night.
“It’s our position that this entire thing was a ruse in order to obtain my client’s money and there was no probable cause to pull him over at any point,” Faherty told First Coast News.
The case against Davis was later dismissed.
In April 2025, Faherty filed a letter of intent to sue the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, as well as a civil theft letter naming two deputies involved in the arrest.
The legal filing seeks $200,000 in damages related to the arrest and Fourth Amendment violations, and $12,000 in compensation for the missing money. That case is pending.
On May 22, Davis received a formal response from the agency. Faherty described the letter as disappointing, saying it lacked details about which policies were violated.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that an internal investigation found misconduct, and that a probationary deputy had been terminated.
“We hold all of our deputies and employees to the highest standards, and this probationary deputy failed to meet those standards,” Sheriff Michelle Cook said in a statement.
Faherty said legal action is still moving forward.
