JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An employee in the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office communications center who was arrested Friday on drug-related charges appeared in court Saturday morning.
Bond for Jacki Carnevale was set at $1,503.
JSO Undersheriff Pat Ivey said Carnevale was arrested after JSO received information that Carnevale, 35, was purchasing narcotics illegally. Ivey said the Special Investigations Integrity Unit set up a sting and with the help of a confidential informant sold a 40 mg tablet of Oxycontin to Carnevale.
Ivey said the deal, which took place in the driveway of a residence, was originally for more than one tablet, but Carnevale only had the money to purchase one at the time of the sting. He said police have reason to believe Carnevale purchased multiple tablets in the past.
Carnevale's sister, Michelle Serwe, told News4Jax the woman has been in pain for a long time.
"She has been on prescription medication for a very long time. She's got kidney issues; she's got neck issues; she's got back issues. She had a horribly hard pregnancy, and it was all prescribed," Serwe said. "She's been prescribed for all of this time. It was all known. It was know at work. She had gone on family medical leave act because she was having so many issues. They were good about working with her because of her health issues, but there's a lot more to it then, 'Here's this JSO employee that went and bought some drugs.'"
JSO said Carnevale resigned after her arrest. Her sister said she worked for JSO for about six years.
"What I do believe is they've taken something and made it much larger than in her mind what it was. I know her well enough that she's not out there trying to do criminal acts with criminal people to be some waste I thing they've honed in on her and are trying to make an example of her," Serwe said.
Carnevale's next court date is Oct. 19.
