Marion County sheriff tried to profit off kiosk deal

By | May 28, 2022

Last Updated on May 28, 2022 by Craig Allen Keefner

OCALA — A report says a former Central Florida sheriff tried to profit off a crime-fighting kiosk business, violated several department policies and that the kiosks posed a safety hazard to the public.The report by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and prosecutors said crimes likely were committed by ex-sheriff Chris Blair and his chief of staff, Fred LaTorre, but they won’t be prosecuted.The Ocala Star-Banner reported Sunday that’s because Blair entered a deferred prosecution plea deal

Source: www.theledger.com

They used the funds to develop the prototype and then purchased 100 of the kiosks. Then, knowing they intended to profit, they used their respective positions with MCSO to market the kiosks to other agencies.”

 

The first 100 kiosks were electrical shock and fire hazards because monitors had been removed from their housing and mounted inside the kiosks, according to the report.

Author: Craig Allen Keefner

Craig Allen Keefner is an industry analyst, content strategist, and longtime authority on self-service kiosks, digital signage, unattended payment systems, and interactive technology. He manages content and industry strategy for Kiosk Industry and The Industry Group, with a focus on kiosk software, hardware-software integration, accessibility, payment compliance, healthcare kiosks, restaurant self-service, and emerging AI automation. Craig has covered the self-service and kiosk industry since the 1990s, tracking how public-facing terminals move from concept to field deployment. His work combines industry research, vendor analysis, operator conversations, standards tracking, trade show coverage, and practical experience with the real-world constraints of kiosk deployments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiosk