Broward prosecutor accused of forging boss’ signature. Now, she could face discipline
A Broward prosecutor could face discipline from the Florida Bar after being accused of doctoring her boss’ signature on a document.
Chandler Lefevere, who works in the felony trial unit at the Broward State Attorney’s Office, admitted to cutting the signature of Senior Supervising Assistant State Attorney Lindsay Carrier — and pasting it on another document, according to a letter sent to the Florida Bar on Tuesday.
The document wasn’t filed in court.
Lefevere is suspended without pay for a week, placed on six months of probation and ordered to complete an ethics course, the state attorney’s office told the Miami Herald. Defense attorneys on all cases to which Lefevere was assigned were also notified about the incident.
In the letter, Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Neva Rainford-Smith urged the Bar to require Lefevere to complete a diversion program, which would allow her to “salvage her career and re-build her reputation.”
“It should be noted that prior to June 14th, 2024, ASA Lefevere had a stellar reputation in the office and was well regarded by her peers and Supervisors alike,” Rainford-Smith said in the letter.
A forged document?
According to the letter, officials at the state attorney’s office were made aware of the phony document during a June 11 meeting. Carrier confirmed that she didn’t sign the paper — and didn’t authorize the content of the memo.
The memo that Lefevere is accused of altering aimed to change charges in the case of Nicole Tapanes, who was charged with felony DUI. In 2022, Tapanes was pulled over after an officer noticed that she was “swaying within the lane.” She admitted to drinking, records show, but refused to provide a breath sample.
Defense attorneys argued the traffic stop should be thrown out of the case because the officer didn’t have reasonable suspicion to pull over Tapanes. Police had received an anonymous tip about Tapanes driving recklessly — but the officer didn’t witness that.
Prosecutors, according to court records, reduced the charge to misdemeanor DUI in December. After taking a plea deal, Tapanes was sentenced to a year of probation. Her driver’s license was also suspended for that same time period.
The paper trail following the fabricated memo was uncovered when an office staff member found the altered signature page in the copy machine, the letter reveals. The doctored document was found on Lefevere’s desk June 12.
The letter also hinted at a reason for the bogus signature: Lefevere “...was far behind schedule in writing these closed case memorandums and panicked after being confronted and asked for the... memo on June 7th.”
During a meeting with Rainford-Smith and division chief Paul Valcore, Lefevere was confronted with the forged document and asked to explain it. That’s when, the letter shows, she admitted to cutting the signature and affixing it on the memo.
In tears, Lefevere asserted that she “had second thoughts, knew she could not go through with it and trashed the forged memorandum,” according to the letter.
Rainford-Smith, however, reminded Lefevere that she didn’t throw the document away, the letter states. Clarifying her previous statement, Lefevere replied that she didn’t turn in the memo to her supervisor.
Lefevere began working at the Broward State Attorney’s Office after graduating from law school in 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had previously interned at the office for a year.
