Ex-cop charged with grand theft related to missing charity money

DAVIE — A Davie police officer started a charitable fund to assist a woman whose husband and daughterwerekilledwhiletrick-or-treating. But then some of the charity money turned up missing.

Jeffrey Michael Stewart, 53, was arrested Oct. 14, according to court records, and on Friday was charged with grand theft, a felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence. He also faces other charges.

An arraignment has been set for Nov. 9.

According to the arrest warrant, in April or May of 2018, Stewart and his niece started a charity called Random Acts of Kindness Everyday. Its intent was to conduct charitable acts.

The arrest warrant says Stewart, through the charity, established a GoFundMe account for the woman after her husband and 5-year-old daughter were killed in Davie while trick-or-treating on Halloween 2018.

The charitable effort raised $32,000. Stewart, according to the warrant, used $10,000 to pay for the funerals, and gave $13,000 to the woman.

The GoFundMe page said 100% of the money raised would go to the “grieving family.”

Stewart, who retired from the police department before he was arrested, is charged with grand theft of at least $750 but less than $5,000.

According to the warrant, Stewart said he held back some money because he was incorrectly told he might have to pay taxes on the $32,000 raised from the approximately 650 donors.

The investigation into the missing money started in March 2019, after Stewart went to a fellow officer at the Davie police department and asked whether someone has committed grand theft if that person withdrew charitable funds for personal use,

even if that person is authorized to withdraw the funds.

At the time, Stewart claimed his niece took the missing money. Mike Dutko, Stewart’s attorney, said Tuesday his client is no longer making that claim.

The warrant also says Stewart established a charity called the St. David Catholic School Taylor Lee Scholarship that wasn’t used legitimately.