Jacksonville State Probation Officer accused of falsifying records to build relationship with offender

Jacksonville, FL — A Florida Department of Corrections Senior Probation Officer working in Jacksonville has been arrested for allegedly falsifying official records, in an effort to build a relationship with an offender who was reporting to him.

The probable cause affidavit from the Florida Department of Corrections says the initial allegation against Paul Stack was from around May 2017, but the conduct is believed to have gone on several months. Stack was arrested for official misconduct late last week and booked in to the Nassau County Jail. FDC confirms to WOKV he was dismissed from employment Tuesday.

The arrest records say Stack started sending text messages to an offender who had been reporting to him for a few weeks, and the messages were largely personal in nature. Some of the messages were sent as late as 3AM, according to the affidavit. In at least one of the messages given to investigators, Stack allegedly offered to help the offender out.

“cant help pay bills but can help u out other ways,” part of one of the messages said, according to the affidavit.

Stack allegedly entered information in to the FDC database to show the offender had served several community service hours, in order to get that offender off a delinquent list. Stack allegedly entered the hours saying the offender had served at the Jacksonville Wildlife Rescue Coalition, even though that is not an approved FDC community service provider. The affidavit says the offender did not complete community service hours at that location, because she had been told it was not an approved site.

The affidavit for arrest warrant says investigators believe Stack falsified the offender’s record for his own personal gain, “to culminate the relationship” between him and the offender.

The FDC Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation and brought forward the official misconduct charge.

Stack was hired in November 1994 and had no prior discipline.