SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a sheriff's deputy in southwest Florida tried to kill a woman he had been defrauding.
Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight told reporters Monday that 46-year-old Deputy Frankie Bybee had befriended the victim, a 79-year-old Sarasota woman, while responding to a service call in October.
Knight said when the woman entrusted Bybee with her dog, the deputy sold the dog through a Craigslist ad.
Knight said Bybee was placed on administrative leave earlier this month after the deputy's fingerprint was found on checks totaling $65,000 that the victim said had been fraudulently signed.
Days later, Knight said Bybee attempted to kill the woman and make it look like a suicide.
Bybee was held without bail on a charge of attempted murder, among other charges. Jail records didn't show whether he had an attorney.
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