CLERMONT, Fla. — A judge sentenced the former leader of the Clermont Police union to six months in jail Monday after pleading no contest to theft charges.
Jeremy Kevitt neither admitted to nor denied that he siphoned more than $47,000 from union bank accounts over a six-year period, which detectives said he used to buy groceries, home supplies and fund personal trips.
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Kevitt left his position in 2021, shortly after investigators were notified when the bank account balance dropped below zero.
The theft went on for so long because the union lacked oversight. For years, Kevitt’s name was the only one on the bank account, court records said.
Prosecutors did not say what punishment they wanted Kevitt to face but asked the judge for prison.
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“This was one of their own,” who betrayed officers’ trust, the prosecutor said, as a dozen Clermont officers looked on and shook their heads.
Kevitt’s attorney argued that he had been a community asset and that locking him up would not help him pay restitution. She asked for probation.
Kevitt said he was a bad record keeper but maintained all of the expenses were legitimate reimbursements.
“I didn’t steal,” he said. “I let down my colleagues and my friends.”
A hearing will be held in the future to determine how much money Kevitt will have to pay back. The judge hinted he could have his 10-year probation cut short if the money is paid sooner.
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