'Zero intention of returning': Man charged in Jefferson clerk fraud case allegedly flees
Thursday morning update:
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Warren "Charles" Culp Jr. of Tallahassee was arrested Wednesday night in the Bonifay area.
Initial story:
One of the men charged with suspended Jefferson County Clerk of Court Kirk Reams for scheming to defraud the county has allegedly absconded, prompting prosecutors to file an emergency motion to revoke his bond.
Warren “Charles” Culp Jr. of Tallahassee was arrested Sept. 20 along with Reams and Justin “Tyler” McNeill, both of Monticello, after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into theft and financial improprieties at the Clerk of Court’s office.
FDLE said Reams, first elected in 2006, Culp, a financial consultant for the clerk’s office, and McNeill, a former deputy clerk, schemed to defraud the county of more than $800,000 in public funds.
In a motion filed Tuesday, State Attorney Jack Campbell wrote that after his arrest, a reviewing judge ordered a total of $500,000 in bonds for Culp, but that after his first appearance, that was lowered to $170,000 over the objections of prosecutors.
Culp, 52, testified that he had no passport and would comply with bond conditions, including staying put in either Florida or Georgia and having no contact with witnesses or co-defendants. His father testified that all money would come from his own personal accounts and that Mike Harrison Bail Bonds would satisfy the bonds.
After bonds were posted Sept. 21, Culp was released from jail, according to court records. Around 5:30 a.m. the next morning, Culp’s wife texted Harrison and told him in a later phone call that “Charles was gone.” She said he had “packed up some stuff and left,” Harrison said in an email to Campbell.
“She indicated that he took the following items: sleeping bag, pillows, bathroom bag, laptop, thumb drive, $40 and ulcer medicine,” Harrison wrote. “In my professional opinion these items clearly indicate Mr. Culp has zero intention of returning to court.”
In his emergency motion, Campbell noted that both Harrison and Culp’s wife contacted his office to let them know what had happened. Culp also never showed up to sign his bond contract at Harrison’s office.
“Defense counsel, Ryan Davis, has been contacted and has no knowledge of the defendant’s whereabouts,” Campell added.
Prosecutors charged the three defendants with one count of grand theft over $100,000 and one count of organized scheme to defraud ($50,000 or more), both first-degree felonies.
On the day of his arrest, Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Reams from office, making him the second governor to yank him from his public duties over allegations of wrongdoing.
He was arrested in 2017 on a petty theft charge for allegedly giving a county-owned laptop to an ex-girlfriend in a case that included nude photos he took of her at the courthouse in Monticello. Then-Gov. Rick Scott suspended him from office, but he was acquitted in 2018 and reinstated after prevailing in a federal court fight.
Last year, Reams, former chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party, faced public criticism over $5,000 checks he’d written on the clerk’s account to the GOP’s annual Lincoln Day dinner and Ducks Unlimited. He said at the time he was the victim of a “witch hunt.”
A complaint against Reams alleged that he misused county funds for advertising and sponsorships and a county purchasing card for personal travel, according to FDLE. Reams and Culp also allegedly misappropriated funds from the Jefferson County Commission’s bank account and took part in a kickback scheme with McNeill.
Campbell said in his motion that before Culp was released from jail, the court was informed that he had “stolen an additional $600,000 in the preceding weeks.” FDLE said Culp previously held a position with the state in which he audited clerks of court offices.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Consultant charged in Jefferson Clerk Kirk Reams corruption case vanishes
