News & Updates

In June 2022, an investigation began involving the possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a laptop computer which was turned over to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. 72-year old Harold Benedict, a registered sexual predator, was identified as the...

Beginning in 2018, the DEA and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office partnered in an investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization responsible for distributing kilogram amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl within Okaloosa County, Florida. Named...

A mother and son were arrested this morning near Crestview after one fled an attempted traffic stop and the other interfered with a deputy attempting to arrest her. A deputy spotted 62-year old Venetia Berry driving a truck with the wrong license attached, but Berry...

A Crestview area man is in custody following an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office investigation into reports he threatened the life of his girlfriend and her family. commandeered her social media accounts, and violated the conditions of a domestic violence protection...

A Fort Walton Beach area man is recovering from three stab wounds after he was attacked at a home off Pinewood Trace Saturday evening. The 31-year old victim was taken to a local hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He is expected to survive. 24-year old...

A Colorado man was taken into custody Tuesday for the robbery of a Fort Walton Beach area convenience story August 14th. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has charged 38-year old Ryan Cardwell-Belshe of Colorado Springs with robbery without a weapon. Investigators...

A man living in Okaloosa County only two weeks is now charged with attempted bank robbery as well as failure to register as a sexual offender. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's office was able to track down 45-year old Kirk Losey in connection with a robbery attempt at...

An investigation launched after the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Airport Security Unit became aware of suspicious activity ultimately led to the arrest of a Mary Esther man in connection with items stolen from luggage at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. 19-year...

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies serving a felony warrant on a Crestview man wanted by another agency for aggravated stalking added five OCSO charges after he was found with fetanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Deputies on patrol near School Avenue around 7...

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit conducted an operation in August 2021, which led to an investigation where forty-four-year-old, Jerry Lee Hollingsworth Jr. of DeFuniak Springs was identified as a suspect....

Members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit executed a search warrant Friday in the 700 block of Benning Drive in Destin. The investigation began after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the residence of...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Fort Walton Beach woman following the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a residence on McFarlan Avenue. 65-year old Kathryn Booker was arrested after Investigators with the Special Investigations Section...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two individuals following the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a residence on Edge Avenue in Niceville. 48-year old James Carnley was arrested after Investigators with the Special Investigations Section found...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Fort Walton Beach woman following the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a residence on Bradford Drive. 43-year old Amanda Walker was arrested after Investigators with the Special Investigations Section found...

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies responding to a call of shots fired in the Auburn community near Crestview overnight made contact with three teens in the area, leading to burglary and grand theft charges against the trio. Residents in the Autumn Woods...

Approximately 48 hours after Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a theft in progress at a Destin cosmetics store, a call for the same crime at the same store came in to the Communications Unit. In the first incident July 17th , three individuals...

Three suspects in the theft of $8000 in merchandise from a Destin cosmetics store were unable to get away due to the combined efforts of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Walton County Sheriff's Office, and their K9 teams. OCSO deputies responded to the Ulta store...

We're investigating a fatal traffic crash involving a bicyclist in Destin early this morning. Deputies say the man was heading east on Highway 98 near the intersection with Crystal Beach Drive when he was hit by a vehicle heading the same direction. He was pronounced...

In it's third operation targeting on-line sexual predators in the last eleven months, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has already arrested six suspects and has warrants pending on multiple others. It's the result of a four day operation dubbed "Operation Safe...

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating an apparent domestic-violence related murder/suicide after finding the bodies of a young couple in their home off Lewis Turner Boulevard near Fort Walton Beach Monday afternoon. Deputies responded to a welfare...