Sanford Police Chief: Ex-officer allegedly stole 'at least 5 figures' in secret 11-month fraud scheme

SANFORD, Fla. - Former Sanford Police officer Ronny Neal is suspected of stealing at least five figures in city money in a fraud scheme involving off-duty details.

The Sanford Police Department said the alleged fraudulent actions of one of their own – which has prompted a criminal investigation – has tarnished the reputation of trust the department has worked for in the community. 

During a Dec. 17 press conference, Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith spoke about the department's investigation into Neal's actions – in tandem with the Secret Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement – to look into how long Neal had been using city money to pay him for off-duty hours that he didn't serve. 

The backstory:

Sanford Police Officer Ronny Neal was arrested on Dec. 16 in connection to a fraud scheme involving being paid with city money for off-duty services Neal didn't do. 

According to the ongoing and active investigation, Neal had been committing this scheme for nearly a year. 

What is Ronny Neal accused of? 

According to the department, invoices showed that Neal worked overtime hours at Lofts at Eden – an apartment complex in Sanford – and "fabricated the detail." 

The department didn't know Neal had been doing this because verifying overtime fell under his duties, Smith said. The city was never reimbursed by the apartment because Neal made up the account. The department said all the 79 falsified off-duty contracts were to Lofts of Eden. 

Chief Smith said Neal fabricated the details, as the business never had a contract with him.

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When asked how much money Neal profited, Smith declined to comment – citing the ongoing investigation – but said, "At least five figures." 

When asked if anyone was checking Neal's time card, Smith declined to comment. Smith added, "The circumstances surrounding him and how that occurred has all been corrected." 

Due to a Florida exemption – preventing the mugshots of first responders from being released as public information – Neal's mugshot was not released. 

Chief Cecil Smith on the investigation: Press Conference

What they're saying:

Chief Smith said the arrest was personally devastating, describing Neal as a friend. 

"He chose day in and day out to lie, cheat and steal from this community," an emotional Smith said during a news conference on Wednesday. "It tarnished his badge and tarnished the trust that we have garnered." 

Chief Smith said Neal had more than 20 years on the force, having held multiple leadership roles within the department. 

"I have absolutely no idea who Ronny Neal is," Smith added.

Detectives said they do not currently believe any other employees were involved but are reviewing Neal’s prior activities to determine whether additional offenses occurred.

"We will work diligently to ensure that something like this never happens again," Smith said. 

What we know about Ronny Neal

Dig deeper:

Ronny Neal has been an officer with the Sanford Police Department for over 22 years – joining in Jan. 2003. In this time, he's served in multiple positions, including a patrol officer, an investigator in general and crime major crimes, a public information officer, a SWAT officer, a SORE officer who dealt with sex offenders, a CVSA – a lie detector officer – and most recently, an investigator in the Professional Standards Unit. 

Neal's position provided him the autonomy to falsify the off-duty payroll records, Smith said. Officers get paid for information on their time sheets, Smith explained. 

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Neal's job included meeting with vendors and assigning officers to work overtime. He established the "detail" rate, submitted invoices to the vendor and sent invoices and checks to the finance department. No other officers are under investigation in connection to this scheme, Smith said. 

Smith said he found some details about Neal through the investigation and simply said, "I don't know who Ronny Neal is."

Investigation timeline

• Oct. 1, 2023 to July 28, 2024: Ronny Neal allegedly created false off-duty details and was paid by the City of Sanford for the hours he made up, Sanford Police said.
• July 2024: Sanford's finance department began reviewing and reconciling unpaid vendor accounts associated with off-duty details. They found discrepancies and negative balances, the police department said.
• August 2025: Sanford's Police administration was made aware of the unresolved accounts and lack of documentation and invoices. During this time, Neal was asked to produce invoices and information to the finance department.
• October 2025: A meeting between the City of Sanford and Sanford Police Department revealed some accounts were reconciled, but a number remained unpaid.
• November 2025: A further investigation showed the unpaid accounts could be linked to criminal activity.
• December 9: Ronny Neal was relieved of duty and placed on Administrative Leave.
• December 10: Ronny Neal submitted his resignation
• December 11: Neal's resignation was accepted.
• December 11 to 15: Additional information was discovered and probable cause was established.
• December 16: Neal was arrested on a warrant and he was terminated by the police department.

What charges is Neal facing? 

Neal is facing charges involving 79 counts of official misconduct – which are third-degree felonies – and one count of organized fraud – a second-degree felony.

Neal's certification is also at risk, Smith said. If Neal is decertified, "he will never be a police officer anywhere again," Smith said. 

In court on Wednesday, a judge set Neal's bond at $150,000. He was ordered to surrender his passport, not travel outside of Florida and not contact any witnesses in the case. His next court appearance is Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. 

What's next:

The Sanford Police Department, along with the FDLE, is investigating this active investigation. FDLE investigator Felipe Williams declined to comment further on the investigation at this time. Investigators are looking at everything from bank accounts to business accounts, the police department said. 

Crime and Public SafetySanford