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Sheriff: Officer Gave Up 19-Year Career for $200

Lakeland Police Officer Troy Young.

Shakespeare took a lump-sum payout of about $17 million after winning the lottery in 2007.

Moore has told The Ledger she helped Shakespeare disappear at his request. She said he was trying to get away from people who were constantly pestering him for money.

Young isn’t the only one negatively impacted by his arrest, Judd said. “It’s one more chip of wood on the stack for DeeDee Moore.”

There are two emotional events that police departments have to endure, Chief Boatner said.

“Lakeland police in the last 10 days have been involved with both of them: the death of a police officer and the arrest of a police officer.”

Officer Charlie Dallas died Jan. 18 in a car accident.

He said Young’s actions will be debated by the police department, by people and in court.

As those conversations unfold, Boatner said, “We have 225 sworn officers who do good work every day. I hope people don’t forget that.”

Young, who has been with LPD since 1990, was suspended with pay Jan. 8 when Lakeland Police supervisors learned he was under investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.

In nearly 20 years with the department, Young, whose salary is $57,990 per year, had never been suspended.

He had been warned or had received counseling for personnel issues on five occasions, his file shows. Three of those five times were for vehicle operation.

Young has earned 16 awards and commendations during that same time.

[ Ledger reporter Jeremy Maready contributed to this report. Rick Rousos can be reached at rick.rousos@theledger.com or 863-802-7514.]LAKELAND | A Lakeland police officer was accused Monday of checking license plate numbers for a woman connected to missing Lotto millionaire Abraham Shakespeare.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Troy McKay Young, 42, on charges of unlawful compensation, which is a felony, and misuse of confidential information, a misdemeanor.

“For a check of $200 and a plane ticket for his daughter, he gave up a 19-year career with the Lakeland Police Department,” Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said Monday.

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