Sheriff: Former Pasco CPI arrested for falsifying DCF documents after trainee spots discrepancies

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - The sheriff of Pasco County said a former child protective investigator, who was with the agency for about five years, was arrested for knowingly filling out false information in official documents.

During a press conference on Monday morning, Sheriff Chris Nocco identified the former employee as 29-year-old Jennifer Lewis, who was employed from January 2016 to March 2021.

"Her role was to protect children. It’s probably one of the toughest roles in our agency," Sheriff Chris Nocco said Monday. "Jennifer Lewis failed in those responsibilities."

The sheriff said on two occasions, she said she met with people when she didn't – but it took a trainee to notice the discrepancies.

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"The trainee came forward and said to her supervisor, ‘There is a problem here. This does not match up,’" Nocco explained, adding that Lewis resigned "very quickly."

The sheriff's office reviewed the 27 current cases that Lewis was assigned to, saying that while there were some discrepancies, nothing, so far, indicated someone was in danger or harmed.

"The story does not stop there for us. We have to go back, and we have to make sure everything is done properly," Sheriff Nocco said. "I applaud that trainee for doing what she did."

Lewis faces felony counts of falsifying and altering Department of Children and Families' documents. She was booked Friday into county jail but bonded out two hours later.