Miami-Dade Court Clerk Scott Kessler, 57, was arrested Thursday on charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit an organized scheme to defraud, and official misconduct after he was caught stealing hundreds of dollars that were supposed to be payments for traffic tickets and court costs, clerk officials said.
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Kessler has worked for the clerk’s office since 2011 at the North Dade Justice Center. Much of his job involves handling money from residents paying court costs and traffic citations.
In January, some customers received letters about how they owed the clerk of the courts for traffic citations. They claimed they had already paid in full and had receipts. All five of the victims were assisted by Kessler, according to police.
Kessler allegedly placed people on payment plans without their knowledge or consent.
Through a Miami-Dade undercover operation, it was discovered that Kessler stole a minimum of $1,096, an arrest affidavit said.
‘I messed up': Miami-Dade County clerk arrested for stealing court cash payments. https://t.co/ckhRfADtvG
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) May 12, 2023
CLERK ARRESTED: A longtime Miami-Dade traffic court clerk faced three felony charges Friday after prosecutors accused him of taking traffic fine payments — meant to go to the county — for himself https://t.co/qIVIilDUFX
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) May 12, 2023
Video surveillance allegedly captured Kessler concealing cash from inside a secured cash drawer 25 times.
Kessler was taken into custody by undercover officers. He allegedly claimed he “messed up” and confessed to the crimes, the arrest report said.
“When government employees steal, they not only seize the public’s money, but they squander the public’s trust in their local government,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. “Such actions betray our community and can never be accepted or tolerated. My Public Corruption prosecutors, the Miami-Dade Police Department, and Ad Interim Clerk of the Courts Luis Montaldo continue to be committed to the elimination of any such potential activity in our court system or any other part of governmental activity.”
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During his first appearance in court, a judge granted him a $15,000 bond.
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