Sheriff Chitwood's statement on deputy investigation

A Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy is under investigation after allegations recently surfaced of him taking money from criminal defendants. The information has been forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is conducting a criminal investigation in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office also is conducting an administrative investigation. Multiple allegations have been received about deputy John Braman taking money from defendants during DUI arrests. Deputy Braman was placed on administrative leave with pay on Wednesday. Braman, 33, was hired by the Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 1, 2007. Braman was assigned to road patrol prior to him being placed on leave. Before that, he worked as a motorcycle deputy in the Sheriff’s Office’s traffic unit. Saying he was very disappointed to make the announcement about the investigation, Sheriff Mike Chitwood added: “Integrity is the cornerstone of any law enforcement officer’s career. Once you lose your integrity, you’ve lost your ability to be an effective law enforcement officer.” Due to the active investigations, no further comment or information is being released at this time.