City Manager of Cross City Florida arrested for misconduct

The 58-year-old city manager of Cross City, Gary David Pinner, was suspended by the City Council for a period of 30 days on March 27, 2017. Craig Riley of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, requested and obtained a warrant for Pinner’s arrest on official misconduct charges. Pinner was arrested today and transported to the Dixie County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit.

Pinner, who resides at 431 SE 552nd Street in Old Town Florida, is accused of felony violations of Section 838 Florida Statutes; including misusing city employees, city equipment, city inventory, and a Florida Department of Corrections inmate work crew.

Cross City Police Chief Wesley Jones brought the case against Pinner to the Department of Law Enforcement for investigation after he learned that on three separate occasions, Gary Pinner, in his official role as City Manager, instructed Cross City Water Department Employees to perform work on private properties, utilizing city resources, outside and beyond the scope of their job-related duties.

Pinner utilized his official position to provide free services outside and beyond the scope of the Cross City Water Department’s standard operating procedures to certain Dixie County residents, including; Jerry Jones, Daniel Mills, and his future son-in-law, Corey Van Aernam.

Riley also alleges that Gary Pinner allowed at least three city water customers to maintain excessive unpaid account balances for extended periods of time without having their water service terminated. According to the statement of city employee Alisha Dees, this privilege was atypical and a luxury not offered to all city water customers. Dees also indicated that Pinner often credited customer’s accounts that she felt should not have been credited.

The investigation has not revealed any other criminal wrongdoing, other than the actions of Pinner.