LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Lee County corrections deputy is accused of posting sensitive information on Snapchat about street racing groups. Sheriff Carmine Marceno says the officer shared it to warn the groups about the investigation.
The sheriff says 18-year-old Giray Uzen, who has only been on the job for nine months, is accused of leaking the photos he allegedly took. The information contained what could be suspects, criminal informants and people working undercover.
"That information that was leaked out did affect other people because that intel is confidential," Marceno said. "Detectives quickly found information on a photo was an exact match to one of our programs that stores law enforcement sensitive information."
The screenshot was discovered two weeks ago by detectives and showed the sensitive information. Marceno says using a date and time, they tracked down the picture to a sheriff's office computer.
"Former deputy Uzen intentionally gave this information out to warn these groups and obstruct our investigations," he said. "Unfortunately there are relationships outside of work that we can't control."
The investigation linked the photos to Uzen using surveillance video and login information, Marceno said. When they obtained a search warrant of his phone, they found the leaked photos.
"The people that are now involved in the investigation get intelligence that they're not supposed to see and that hurts our investigation," Marceno explained.
About 1,100 certified employees with the Lee County Sheriff's Office can access this level of information, including Uzen. Fox 4 asked the sheriff if this incident has him rethinking stricter access.
"Of course we always think about access and limiting access and who has access," Marceno said.
Deputies arrested Uzen on Wednesday at his Collier County home. He's no longer with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and is being held at the Collier County jail. Uzen is charged with disclosing confidential criminal justice information.
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