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A 25-year-old Florida cop, Dianne Ferreira, was arrested and charged with stealing a dead man's credit card information to make fraudulent purchases. Her charges were announced on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office and the St. Cloud Police Department during a press conference. Ferreira is facing multiple charges including theft of credit card information with intent to use, fraudulent use of a credit card over $200, and use of the personal ID of a deceased person.
Reportedly, on April 3, St. Cloud Patrol Officer Dianne Ferreira responded to a 911 call about a man having difficulty breathing. However, the emergency personnel found the man dead on arrival. The victim's widow, however, began noticing that his credit card was still active on April 14, 2023. She noted that it had been used to make suspicious purchases the day after he died.
Dianne Ferreira was detained in the Osceola County Jail on a $4,000 bond, which she posted. According to St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke, Ferreira's police badge will be destroyed.
Dianne Ferreira had taken snapshots of the victim's card and kept them on a device: Reports
According to the investigation, Dianne Ferreira used information for seven purchases of fuel, one Wendy's order, and one hotel stay. Two attempted charges on the card were declined after the card was canceled, for another fuel purchase and at a salon for eyelash extensions. As per reports, the series of purchases totaled around $450.
The sheriff's office stated that Dianne Ferreira admitted to taking snapshots of the credit cards belonging to the victim while she was at the investigation site. She then proceeded to connect the credit card details to various apps on her mobile phone, FOX35 reported.
During a press conference, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said that:
"You know, as a member of law enforcement, this makes me sick and nauseous whenever we have to do something like this."
The Sheriff added that they treat the police officers who have committed the crime, like every other person and hold everyone accountable for their actions.
St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke also spoke on the matter and said that the badge that Ferriera wore was "tarnished" and won't ever be worn again. The Police Chief said that Ferriera's badge would be destroyed and asked the State Attorney to prosecute the case to "the fullest extent of the law."
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Dianne Ferreira resigned after being interviewed as part of the investigation. She joined the force in February 2022 and reportedly had no prior disciplinary history.
St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke says he does not tolerate officers who violate the community's trust
Following the incident, Police Chief Doug Goerke offered his sincerest apologies to the victim of the incident. He added that taking advantage of a person in a time of need is absolutely reprehensible.
He said that they engage with people every day to build trust and legitimacy for their agency. However, he said that he didn't have any "tolerance" for officers who "harm the community" or violate their trust.
Soon after the investigation was launched, officers discovered the make and model of the suspect's vehicle and a description of the driver making the fraudulent purchases. They then found that Dianne Ferreira owned the vehicle and aligned with the description of the fraudster, eventually leading to her arrest.
