YULEE, Fla. – A Nassau County sheriff's deputy arrested Tuesday afternoon on drug charges has bonded out of jail.
Stuart James Raulerson, 38, was charged with the sale of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church and conspiracy to engage in trafficking Hydrocodone.
"We received information from a credible source that we had a deputy that actually had sold his prescription drugs to an individual," said Nassau County Undersheriff George Lueders. "We followed up and did an investigation and found out that it was, in fact, true."
Lueders said police were able to prove the transactions happened through prescription drug records and a sworn statement from a Callahan man who claimed he bought prescription pills from Raulerson several times. Raulerson's arrest came after that internal investigation.
Sources told News4Jax that Raulerson, who had been a deputy for five years, denied the allegations, saying there is no physical evidence to support the charges. Raulerson, who went to school in Nassau County and has many relatives in the area, claims he was set up, according to sources.
But Lueders said that's not the case.
"We would not have sought the arrest warrant had we had any doubts in our mind that this occurred," Lueders said. "We recruit from the human race. There are going to be people who make mistakes. And occasionally one gets in there that you can't help. And when you find them out, you weed them out. And that's the way it is in law enforcement."
Raulerson was released from jail after posting $150,000 bail. He would not comment as he left the jail.
Sheriff Bill Leeper confirmed that Raulerson was fired after his arrest. Lueders said Raulerson had some disciplinary actions in five years as a patrol deputy with the Sheriff's Office, "but nothing as significant as this."
News4Jax tried to contact Raulerson to get his side of the story, but we have not heard back yet. But someone who knows Raulerson said he will be responding soon to share "what really happened."
If Raulerson is acquitted of the charges, he could ask for his job back.