FORMER SHERIFF’S DEPUTY CHARGED WITH LARCENY

By Jon Mayhew

A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy is out of a job after resigning and being charged with misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods.

Jennifer Gabbard, 23, is accused of stealing a camera from a Monterey Drive home in eastern Lincoln County during an investigation.

Gabbard resigned following an interview about the larceny on March 5. Warrants were drawn Friday afternoon charging her with misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods. The Kodak camera -- valued at less than $300 -- was recovered during the investigation.

In a statement to The Carolina Scoop, Lincoln County Sheriff Tim Daugherty called the incident “unfortunate” and “regrettable.”

“Anything that casts a shadow of suspicion across any law enforcement officer or agency calls into question their integrity and trust. Poor decisions and errors of judgment have the potential to damage the relationship between law enforcement and the communities that they serve,” said Daugherty. “Humans are imperfect, so law enforcement personnel being human, are subject to making mistakes too.”

“Our job is to protect the communities we serve and sometimes that may mean investigating one of our own. We will take appropriate action, we will accept responsibility and then we will move on.”

Gabbard had been a full time deputy since May of 2006. She was taken before a magistrate and released on a $2,000 unsecured bond.