- April 25, 2024
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A 2010 audit of the police department's evidence and property unit found signs of negligence and suspicion of criminal activity.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
The State Attorney's Office announced Nov. 8 that it would no longer continue pursuing charges against former Ormond Beach Police Department Evidence Technician Robert Haller, in connection with a 2010 audit.
"There was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt either Grand Theft or Official Misconduct on the part of Robert Haller," Klare Ly, the State Attorney's Office public information officer, said in an email.
The audit, ordered by then Division Chief Henry Osterkamp and conducted by Ormond Beach Police Department’s Internal Affairs, was a full inventory of the police department’s evidence section.
Haller had been a technician since 1988. He worked with Shannon Champion, who started in 2006 as an evidence custodian.
According to a report, “Initial discussions with (Evidence Technician) Haller and (Evidence Custodian) Champion indicated they had a great deal of anxiety concerning the impending inventory.”
And the audit seemed to validate that anxiety, revealing concerns over Champion’s ability to keep accurate financial records, as well as a locked cabinet of Haller's, which contained a loaded firearm, envelops of syringes and money, and sexually oriented material.
Haller resigned from the department Aug. 6, 2010, while awaiting disciplinary action.
One day after Haller resigned, Champion turned over a box containing numerous envelopes filled with a total of $3,787.23, which he said were kept in a processing room Haller kept locked when it wasn’t in use.
Attached to the box was a note from Haller that said, “Found this in Sam’s desk when he left, knew he had some money, did not know it was this. Did not know to tell you.”
The note was referring to long-time volunteer Sam Easterbrook, according to reports, who had left the department roughly six months earlier. Neither the audit team nor Champion knew where the box was kept prior to its discovery.
Several days after the box was discovered, a maintenance worker removed ceiling panels in the gun/drug room to check the air conditioner and found a large envelope, containing $678.95.
That's when Osterkamp became concerned that there was criminal activity within his department — not just negligence.
The chief requested assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
