Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two Mulberry residents on Tuesday for allegedly impersonating an officer as part of a scam.
Deputies said 46-year-old Earl Lee Tournear and 41-year-old Heather Lea Lockyer, ran a scam that included raising funds for the sheriff's office.
Authorities said Earl Tournear called the SUNOCO convenience store, located at 1285 North Church Avenue, a few times on Tuesday and pretended to be an officer raising funds for the sheriff's office. The owner of the store agreed to donate funds, until Tourner told him cash would be the only type of payment accepted, deputies said.
The store owner became suspicious and asked for the donation to be collected in person at the store.
Authorities also said Lockyer then tried to pick the money up, but the owner wasn't there.
Lockyer called the store numerous times asking if the owner had returned.
Deputies arrested the two at a traffic stop later that day.
The pair's charges include impersonating a law enforcement officer, petit theft, fraudulent charitable solicitation and fraud.
Through the investigation, detectives learned Tournear is employed by a fundraising business as a telemarketer and that Tournear works from his own residence selling advertisement space to businesses on behalf of organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police.
However, according to Tournear’s employer, Onit Enterprise, Tournear has never been authorized to contact any business inside of Polk County, nor was he authorized to collect donations.
Lockyer is not employed by Omit Enterprise.
Both were booked into the Polk County jail without incident.