SHERIFF SHAKEUP: New chief fires two in 'reorganization' (UPDATE)

The fallout that began with Sheriff Charlie Morris' arrest Friday continued Wednesday as interim Sheriff Ed Spooner eliminated two employee positions and reorganized several administrative offices.

Maj. Sabra Thornton, Morris' chief of staff, was informed her position had been "discontinued due to the lack of current needs of the agency," a news release said.

Randall Holcombe, the assistant director of administrative services, was told "his services are no longer needed for that position as it has been eliminated in order to streamline operations and reduce costs," according to a second release.

Both jobs will be eliminated as of Saturday, the releases said.

Thornton was hired and given the rank of major in February of 2008. She left her job as chief of staff for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's division of law enforcement to join the Sheriff's Office.

An effort to obtain Thornton's personnel file was thwarted Wednesday.

"Her personnel file is not presently in our possession," said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson.

Holcombe was hired when Morris became sheriff in January 1997. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Thornton was paid $83,200 annually and Holcombe $71,302, Nicholson said.

Morris, the county's sheriff since 1996, was arrested by federal authorities Friday based on a complaint alleging fraud, theft and money laundering. Teresa Adams, his director of administration was also arrested, and could face the same charges.

Gov. Charlie Crist has suspended Morris indefinitely and appointed Spooner as interim sheriff. Tuesday Spooner dismissed Adams, an employee since 1986 who made approximately $91,500 a year.

In other personnel moves, Spooner announced that Maj. Larry Ashley had been placed in charge of the agency's Administration and Finance Division.

Maj. Larry Donaldson was made head of the Support Services and Field Services Division.

Major Mark Schniepp was named supervisor of the Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigations Division, its Special Response Team, its Crisis Negotiations Unit and its Professional Standards Division.

The interim sheriff has also asked Okaloosa County Administrator Jim Curry to select an accounting firm to expand the audit of Sheriff's Office finances for fiscal 2007/2008.

The firm of Nicholson Reeder and Reynolds is close to completing its annual audit, Curry said. He has asked the firm of O'Sullivan Creel, the lead accounting agency of a consortium employed by the county, to find accountants to "go back in" and reopen the Sheriff's Office books.

"In light of the information that's coming out of the Sheriff's Office we've asked them to do some additional audit functions," Curry said.

Spooner has also asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an audit of the Sheriff's Office evidence room.

Adams notified the U.S. District Court in Pensacola Wednesday that she has hired attorney Drew Pinkerton to represent her if she is indicted by a grand jury.

Pinkerton said he is limited in what he can say publicly about the case against his client, but he did state, "there's a great deal that's been reported and the general public assumes that is inaccurate."

"There's a lot more out there, the whole other half of the story," he said.

He said his client, who lost her mother a year ago and cares for both a husband and a father confined to nursing homes, has been undeservedly "pilloried" in public forums since her arrest.

Federal agents say she provided bonuses to Sheriff's Office employees to be kicked back to Morris for his personal use.

Heeding the advice of the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Sheriff's Office again declined Wednesday to make public information about how often bonuses were provided during Morris' tenure in office, or how large those bonuses were.

A Northwest Florida Daily News request for the Sheriff's Office payroll, from 2007 forward, was also denied at the request of federal agents.

"We will not be able to release that information," Spooner said. "That's part of the information they need to remain confidential."

The feds have said their investigation into activity at the Sheriff's Office is continuing.

Daily News Editor Colin Lipnicky said efforts to obtain the payroll and bonus information will continue.

"The Daily News believes the public is entitled to these records under Florida law," Lipnicky said. "We will continue to diligently pursue access to them on behalf of the public's right to know."