New charges, allegations thrown at former deputy
SARASOTA (FOX 13) - He apparently won a woman's trust with his badge and uniform, but investigators say Frankie Bybee was after his elderly victim's money.
Friends, family and supporters of the former sheriff's deputy say they don't believe he would befriend an elderly woman, swindle her for money and then try to kill her. But they listened Tuesday morning as prosecutors revealed more evidence and charges against him.
The State Attorney's Office revealed some of the evidence it has against Bybee. They said he forged a suicide note and sent it to the woman's doctor. She was even taken into custody under the Baker Act before investigators found out the forgery had been sent from Bybee's home computer.
Investigators now believe the forgery was part of Bybee's plot to kill the woman and make it look like a suicide.
And new allegations from another woman, who came forward with a shocking claim. She told internal affairs investigators that she's had an affair with Bybee for years, paying him more than $100,000 for sex and having him send videos of sex acts. Some were allegedly performed in his squad car.
"His behavior is substantially worse than an average criminal behavior, because he took an oath to uphold the law. He is in a position of trust and he flaunted that position," said prosecutor Karen Fraivillig.
His attorney, Charles Britt disagrees and asked the judge to lower his million dollar bond. He says his client is mentally unstable. The judge granted his request and lowered it to $365,620.
"Mr. Bybee is not asking for any special treatment," Britt said. "This case might not be everything that it is cracked up to be. There are some issues involved with credibility in this case."
Investigators said they are still uncovering new evidence.
They said video shows Bybee, both in and out of uniform, using the victim's debit card to withdraw money. They said he made at least 12 unauthorized withdrawals from her bank account, going to grocery stores and local convenience stores throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties.
When detectives questioned Bybee, he denied having access to the victim's finances. Video surveillance obtained from several of the stores shows Bybee enter the business, approach the ATM, and exit with $400 cash in hand.
On January 30, 2017, detectives were contacted by an online business owner out of Kentucky who sold a CR-3000 car rotisserie and accessory brackets to Bybee on December 19, 2016. Investigation revealed that Bybee used the victim's name, email address, PayPal account, and without her authorization, charged $1,080 to the victim's credit card. Detectives executed a search warrant on Bybee's home on January 31, where they seized the fraudulently purchased rotisserie and accessory brackets and collected both as evidence.
Tuesday, investigators charged Bybee with 10 counts of criminal use of personal identification and a single count of accessing a computer or electronic device without authority. The judge set Bybee's bond at $5,500. The investigation remains open and ongoing with additional charges pending.
They did not comment on accusations from the other woman and whether any charges would be filed on that in a separate case.