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ORLANDO, Fla. - A Seminole County sheriff’s deputy is facing a felony charge after authorities say he falsified overtime records and collected pay for hours he did not work.
The case has prompted an internal disciplinary process and a related investigation involving another deputy.
What we know:
Deputy Nestor Nieves Jr., who has worked for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office since September 2015, turned himself on Thursday at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.
The Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit issued an arrest warrant charging him with one count of organized fraud, a third-degree felony. His bond was set at $3,000, which he has posted.
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Investigators allege that between Oct. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31, 2025, Nieves submitted overtime timesheets for hours he did not work while assigned to off-duty details. According to a capias request filed with prosecutors, he falsified entries and received thousands of dollars in compensation to which he was not entitled.
Nieves has been suspended since late August 2025 and has been served with a notice of proposed discipline for termination by Sheriff Dennis Lemma. Under agency policy, he may request a name-clearing hearing to appeal the proposed termination.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not disclosed the exact amount of money allegedly obtained through the falsified overtime entries. It also remains unclear how the discrepancies were first discovered or whether any additional employees could face charges.
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A second deputy has been suspended in connection with a related investigation involving similar alleged conduct, but officials have released few details, saying the inquiry remains active.
Timeline:
The alleged conduct occurred over an 11-month period from October 2024 through August 2025. Nieves was suspended in late August 2025 as the criminal investigation progressed.
After completing its review, the sheriff’s office submitted the case to the state attorney’s office for prosecutorial review. Prosecutors determined there was probable cause for the organized fraud charge and issued an arrest warrant, leading to Nieves’ surrender Thursday.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.