Report: Ex-deputy faces misue charges

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) - William Schinstine spent 15 years working as an Okaloosa County deputy, but now he's the one being investigated. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested him Wednesday. Special agent Eli Lawson said last year, Schinstine used police resources to illegally look up other people's personal information.

"Its confidential information. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement takes very seriously the confidential information, in order to protect the integrity of peoples private, personal information," Lawson said.

Investigators say he wasn't pulling up the records to do a standard traffic stop, instead he was using the information to help his wife repossess vehicles.

"We took a look and audited his computer records. It showed in excess of 200 times where he was accessing the Florida crime information center. He was off duty, these queries that he ran in the computer were all tied directly that he got records from repossession service. " said Lawson.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office first noticed something was up when they found out Schinstine was helping out a repossession company when he was off-duty. They told him it was a prohibited off duty employment and he had to cease any activity with them.

The sheriff's office then did an internal investigation. After finding allegations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement got involved. On August 3, Schinstine was placed on administrative leave. Three days later he resigned.

"Its doesn't make any difference if you are on duty or off duty, you need to use info for what its intended. " said Lawson.

Schinstine admitted to investigators that he used the database for personal business, but he said he mostly did it because he was bored.

Schinstine was booked in the Santa Rosa County Jail, but has been released. He faces 195 counts of both misuse of confidential information, and offenses against computer users.

You can read the entire interal investigaiton report on Schinstine by clicking here .