Former state employee charged with grand theft
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sebring Field Office today arrested Tonia C. Casian, 34, of Okeechobee, Fla., for using her state issued purchasing card to buy personal items while she was employed at Okeechobee County Health Department. Casian was charged with aggravated white collar crime and grand theft greater than $50,000.
FDLE began its investigation in February after being contacted by the Department of Health regarding an administrative investigation they conducted on Casian. Investigators allege that in her role as a Distributed Computer Systems Specialist, Casian misused her state purchasing card to charge all or part of a vacation to the Caribbean. The investigation uncovered Casian made 130 unauthorized personal purchases totaling $70,228 from April 2008 through December 2008.During this time, investigators say Casian also entered false information into the Florida Accounting Resource system to conceal her unauthorized purchases.
Casian was placed on administrative leave Jan. 8, 2009, and terminated Jan. 15, 2009
Casian was booked into the Okeechobee County Jail. The case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office in Okeechobee.