A Southwest Florida deputy has been charged after authorities say she lied to investigators to help another deputy accused of trying to kill a woman he had been defrauding.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that 23-year-old Carson Lee Plank was released on her own recognizance following a first court appearance Thursday. She is charged with providing false information to law enforcement. Her employment status is pending the outcome of an investigation.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office says Plank was one of the first deputies to respond last month to the home of a 79-year-old woman who had accused Deputy Frankie Bybee of trying to kill her.
Authorities say Plank failed to turn over evidence collected at the home and then called Bybee and told him about the investigation.
