A former Lee County sheriff’s deputy will spend 6 months in jail after authorities last year linked him to a breach at a Lehigh Acres jewelry store.
Lee Circuit Judge Andrew Marcus sentenced Michael Soto, 37, to 180 days in jail, followed by six years of state probation. Among the conditions of his sentence, he has to forfeit his firearm to the sheriff’s office and sign up for anger management, as well as substance abuse and mental health evaluations within 30 days of his release.
Marcus also ordered that Soto not possess drugs or alcohol with random screens and stay away from the location of the offense.
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Soto faced one count of discharging a firearm in public from a vehicle within 1,000 feet from a person and one count of shooting into an unoccupied building. Court records show that on June 6 he reached a plea agreement with state prosecutors.
According to his 10-page arrest affidavit, shortly before 2 a.m. June 30, 2024, the sheriff’s office was alerted of an alarm that went off at Gold Forever Jewelry, 904 Lee Blvd., in Lehigh Acres.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived at the business, the report says, they found a shattered front glass door. The affidavit says a representative for the establishment provided authorities with security footage.
The heavily redacted report indicates that through the footage authorities linked Soto to a Ford F-150 pickup on scene.
When sheriff’s deputies took him into custody, documents say, Soto refused to speak without a lawyer present.
According to documents provided by the sheriff’s office, Soto began his employment as a sheriff’s deputy in Lee County in May 2018.
He was one of three Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested in two weeks on varying charges.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Ex-Lee County sheriff’s deputy gets jail for shooting into jewelry