Dianne Ferreira appears in a mugshot. (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)
A police officer in Florida was arrested with her handcuffs and charged with stealing a dead man’s credit card information to purchase fast food, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
St. Cloud Police Officer Dianne Ferreira, 25, stands accused of theft of credit card information with intent to use, fraudulent use of a credit card over $200, and use of the personal ID of a deceased person. Her arrest was announced Tuesday during a joint press conference held by the OCSO and the SCPD.
“She was an officer, but she doesn’t deserve that title now,” St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke said on Wednesday.
According to the OCSO, an investigation showed that Ferreira was one of the officers who responded to a 911 call on April 3 about a man having difficulty breathing, but they arrived too late and found the man dead.
By April 14, however, the man’s widow noticed that his credit card was still active – with the suspicious purchases beginning the day after he died. She then contacted the SCPD.
Those fraudulent charges included seven purchases of fuel, one Wendy’s order, and one stay at a hotel. Two attempted charges on the card were declined after the card was canceled – for yet another fuel purchase and at a salon that focuses on eyelash extensions, law enforcement said.
All of the charges occurred at times when the defendant was not working, and at businesses near her residence, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said.
“You know, as a member of law enforcement, this makes me sick and nauseous whenever we have to do something like this,” Lopez said during the press conference. “But you know what? We treat them – like no other person. Everyone is held accountable for their actions.”
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Ferreira resigned after being interviewed as part of the investigation. She joined the force in February 2022 and reportedly had no prior disciplinary history.
“I want to offer my sincerest apologies to the victim of this horrible incident,” the police chief said during the press conference. “To take advantage of a person in a time of need is absolutely reprehensible. We engage the public on a daily basis to build trust and legitimacy for our agency. That being said, I have no tolerance for officers who harm the community or violate its trust.”
According to investigators, they first learned the make and model of the suspect’s vehicle and a description of the driver making the fraudulent purchases. Then, they learned Ferreira owned the vehicle and aligned with the description of the fraudster.
During an interview, the officer allegedly admitted to photographing the dead man’s credit card information and loading it onto mobile apps to make a series of purchases totaling some $450.
“The badge she wore has been tarnished and will never be worn again; in fact, it will be destroyed,” Goerke added. “I’m asking the State Attorney to prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ferreira was detained in the Osceola County Jail on $4,000 bond. A review of jail records shows that she quickly posted bond.
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