FDLE: Rockledge firefighter arrested, accused of stealing jewelry

Jeffrey Hughey, 54, charged with grand theft

ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – A battalion chief with the Rockledge Fire Department has been arrested on grand theft charges after officials say he stole more than $1,500 worth of jewelry during training and sold it.

Jeffrey Hughey, 54, turned himself into the Brevard County Jail on Friday.

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Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials say they began their investigation in December 2015 after authorities received information about the theft.

According to a release, Hughey was accused of stealing jewelry he found inside of a city of Rockledge training vehicle during vehicle extraction training.

Investigators said they believe Hughey kept the jewelry for several months before selling it for $1,000 to $2,000.

The State Attorney's Office will prosecute the case.

“We do not tolerate any criminal activity regardless of who breaks the law," Rockledge Police Chief Joseph LaSata said in a release. "When these allegations were brought to our attention, we acted quickly, and the FDLE investigation resulted in this arrest. The Rockledge Police and Fire Departments work hard to establish trust in the community, and we will not allow anyone to compromise that trust.”