Sentence to be read in Brutnell embezzlement case on August 17th

In the matter of the State of Florida vs Raye Annette Brutnell, who resides in St Johns County, and is represented by Henry M Coxe III, whose place of business is given as Duval County, Historic City News can report from docket updates posted over the weekend, that both parties appeared at the courthouse in St Augustine on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

A total of 163 felony and misdemeanor charges were originally filed against Brutnell, the handpicked Director of Finance for the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office, on November 26, 2018.  Brutnell confessed to Shoar that she acted entirely on her own — with no help from co-workers or her husband, Mark Brutnell, a director for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Brutnell who executed her scheme from a desk in the adjoining office told Shoar that over a period of about five years, she was enriching herself through the embezzlement.  The final value of the forged and stolen instruments reached $685,756 which was reduced to judgment.  The civil debt bears interest from year to year at the applicable statutory interest rate, pursuant to §55.03, Florida Statutes.

However, at the time of her arrest and at the first appearance in Flagler County, her attorney advised her to plea “not guilty” to all charges, which she did.  At the hearing Thursday, Brutnell decided to plea guilty to the following (5) charges:

• Grand theft over $100,000 §812.014 2a1 FS            
• Grand theft over $20,000 §812.014 1 & 2 FS            
• Executing a scheme to defraud a financial institution §655.0322 FS
• Criminal use of personal identification information §817.568 2b FS
• Criminal use of personal identification information §817.568 2b FS

A total of 158-charges were dismissed or not prosecuted according to an announcement by the State Attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. Historic City News has requested the Clerk of Court to provide the details of any negotiated settlement on any remaining case.

Over the past two years, defendant Raye Annette Brutnell has been free on bond and her attorney has successfully filed continuance after continuance to keep her out of the spotlight of public scrutiny. 

She will now stand before Circuit Court Judge R. Lee Smith at 8:45 a.m. on August 17, 2021, to answer for the five crimes she once again admits.