Sheriff’s office: Staffer fired, arrested

An employee of the Pulaski County sheriff’s office has been fired and arrested following allegations of theft and impersonating a bail bondsman, deputies said.

A complainant told deputies that she called the Pulaski County jail to obtain bond information about her cousin and that an unidentified woman told her the bond amount would be $5,000 payable via Cash App, according to an incident report from the Pulaski County sheriff’s office.

Investigators identified the employee as Shanice Benson, who, according to the report, told the complainant she was a bail bondsman and that the caller needed to pay via Cash App.

After receiving the money, Benson texted the complainant that she would meet the caller at the sheriff’s office, the report states.

Benson never met the caller at the sheriff’s office and didn’t respond to subsequent text messages, the complainant told deputies, according to the report.

Benson told the caller she would send bond information but several attempts to receive the paperwork were unsuccessful, the report states.

The complainant later learned that her cousin was released on her own recognizance and attempted to call the phone number for the bail bondsman and learned that the number had been disconnected, according to the report.

Benson faces charges of theft of property and criminal impersonation of a bail bondsman.