Sheriff

The Nassau County Narcotics Division conducted a buy/bust operation in the Yulee area this week and arrested eight people — all who live outside the county.

Wednesday’s operation netted 60 grams of crack cocaine, 3.5 grams of marijuana, 1.5 grams of powder cocaine and one stolen vehicle, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said.

Arrested on drug charges were a female juvenile from Jacksonville, Donald Lewis Ross of Orange Park, Louis K. Brown of Ponte Vedra Beach, and five others from Jacksonville — Kevon T. Belsches, Joseph I. Lunsford, Leslie M. Elixson, John G. Farmer and Alicia B. Webber. Lunsford also was charged with grand theft auto.

By WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE - Nassau County, Sheriff Tommy Seagraves and one former and two current jail employees are accused in a lawsuit of "deliberate indifference" in the 2006 death of an inmate from Jacksonville.
The suit filed April 1 by the parents of Darren Magill says he should have been taken to the hospital after urine tests done at the jail showed he had cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana in his system.

Magill, 28, was found slumped over in his Nassau County Jail cell by an inmate at 4:45 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2006, according to the Sheriff's Office incident report. An autopsy confirmed Magill died of a drug overdose from methadone, the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam and cocaine.

Seagraves and his attorney, John Jolly, confirmed they had received the complaint but declined to comment.

By WENDI ZONGKER
wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE — The Nassau County Veterinary Association Wednesday endorsed Sheriff Tommy Seagraves’ proposal and accompanying budget to take over the troubled Animal Care and Control Department.
Twelve of the fourteen association members met with Seagraves Tuesday night, Veterinarian Jim O'Brien said Wednesday. The Veterinary Association represents all but one Nassau County veterinarian, he said.
Seagraves wants more than $900,000 to run the department, a 70-percent increase in current animal control spending.
“We haven’t had an appropriate budget ever,” he said. “The old budget is a failing shelter. You don’t want to look back on a failing shelter.”
Seagraves’ proposal includes salaries for 17 employees, 11 more than currently work at Animal Control. Instead of only one animal control officer, Seagraves is calling for five, a number O’Brien said is reasonable for a county the size of Nassau.
The Veterinary Association also endorsed Seagraves' choice for director, David Flagler, former head of Jacksonville Animal Control.
“We felt the Sheriff was impressive as well as Mr. Flagler," O'Brien said. "We feel that [Seagraves] is concerned about animal welfare and, as veterinarians, we are very happy to hear what he has in mind, what his vision is for Animal Control.”
O’Brien said local veterinarians are willing to help with licensing animals, which he said would bring in additional revenue to Animal Control, as well with spay and neuter services.