Ex-Port Orange police sergeant gets 5 years probation in elderly exploitation case

Frank Fernandez, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·4 min read

DAYTONA BEACH — An emotional Steven Braddock, a former Port Orange police sergeant, appeared to choke back tears as he stood before a judge for his sentencing Tuesday on accusations he bilked his elderly mother out of a house and money.

Braddock, 52, was charged in 2019 with exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult and with uttering a forgery, both felonies. His wife, Mary Braddock, 52, was charged with being a principal to the same offenses, meaning she was also accused of participating in the crimes.

Former Port Orange Police Sergeant Steven Braddock and his wife Mary Braddock were sentenced on Tuesday to five years probation after they were accused of exploiting Braddock's elderly mother, who has since died.
Former Port Orange Police Sergeant Steven Braddock and his wife Mary Braddock were sentenced on Tuesday to five years probation after they were accused of exploiting Braddock's elderly mother, who has since died.

The former police officer and his wife were facing walking out in handcuffs and a jail or prison sentence. But the person who sparked the investigation, Steven Braddock's brother, Andrew Braddock, said he didn't want to see the couple incarcerated.

And while Assistant State Attorney Kevin Sullivan asked for jail time, he also agreed to withhold adjudication, meaning the couple would not be convicted of the felonies.

Read More: Ex-Port Orange police sergeant, wife plead no contest to exploitation of elderly, forgery

Those were among the factors cited by Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano when he sentenced Steven Braddock and Mary Braddock each to five years probation.

The judge also ordered that the Braddocks pay $727,163.43 in restitution into the probate case. That was the amount requested by Sullivan and agreed to by the couple's defense attorney Michael Politis.

Braddock was accused of forging his late father’s signature to transfer two properties worth $432,000 and owned by his parents to him and his wife, according to a charging affidavit. Braddock also didn’t pay his late mother’s bills at Grace Manor nursing home where she was being cared for dementia, leading to her eviction, according to the affidavit.

Braddock and his wife were also accused of transferring $258,000 from his parents’ account into their own, the affidavit stated. The New Smyrna Beach couple was accused of using that money plus the money from the sale of their parents’ house to help build a “one-of-kind” barn home, the affidavit stated.

Braddock had spent 23 years with the Port Orange Police Department retiring as a sergeant in December 2018, which was one month after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began its investigation into the case.

Steven Braddock told the judge that the criminal case against him had been a "nightmare."

"As time progressed, I quickly realized that now I was being accused of wrongdoing and I was on the other side of the law for the first time in my life,” Steven Braddock said. “This action broke me. I went into a severe depression, and I sought mental and health treatments and medication. I have never intentionally broken the law and never in my life would I have thought that I would be accused of doing so.”

Sullivan agreed to allow the Braddocks to plead no contest to lesser charges at the sentencing hearing.

The Braddocks in October originally entered no contest pleas to an exploitation charge that was a first-degree felony because it involved $50,000 or more. But Sullivan agreed to let them plead to a lesser second-degree felony exploitation charge involving less than $50,000 at the hearing. A first-degree felony is punishable by up to 30 years in prison while a second-degree felony is up to 15 years.

Sullivan also waived the sentencing guidelines which called for a minimum sentence of about 22 months in prison on the exploitation charge.

Defense attorney Michael Politis argues his case during the sentencing hearing for Steven and Mary Braddock. Steven Braddock was a former Port Orange police officer.
Defense attorney Michael Politis argues his case during the sentencing hearing for Steven and Mary Braddock. Steven Braddock was a former Port Orange police officer.

Politis said neither of the Braddocks had a prior criminal record and they didn't have any criminal intent in this case.

He added that the barn-style house that was built was going to be a place were Braddock's parents could live with their son and his wife. Both parents, though, have since died.

Politis asked that adjudication be withheld because otherwise Braddock's police pension would be in jeopardy.

In the end, he said "This is a situation in my opinion of sloppy bookkeeping."

Steven Braddock, reading from a prepared statement, said the couple got in over their heads.

"We were of the opinion that we could handle things on our own involving our father's wishes and unfortunately we did not seek professional assistance to help guide us through the many complicated processes," Braddock said. "Please note, my mom's care was always a top priority."

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Former Florida police sergeant sentenced in exploitation case