Florida GOP Police Blotter #3

Welcome to a new feature here on Blast Off!, the Florida GOP Police Blotter. This is the third installment because I'm retroactively including two worthy inmates suspects, Blowin' Bob Allen (who needs no introduction) of Merritt Island and Angelo Cappelli of St. Petersburg.

So, let's have a nice Blast Off! Florida GOP Police Blotter welcome for former state representative Sheri McInvale of Orlando!

Former Orlando state Rep. Sheri McInvale's attempts to be reimbursed for a printing bill led to her arrest Thursday on charges of illegally recouping more than $7,500 in taxpayer money.

A sealed indictment made public charged McInvale and her former legislative aide, Robert Franklin Stuart Jr., with several official-misconduct charges, along with grand theft, cheating and falsifying records. They are accused of using state funds to pay a "private debt" in 2005 and 2006 while McInvale was still in the Legislature.

"This was one we felt the citizens needed to see what was being alleged to determine if it indeed rose to the level that we thought it did," Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office spokesman Randy Means said about the decision to present the case to a grand jury.

Of course, this does create a bit of a conflict with my Daily Schadenfreude feature, but let's just assume that schadenfreude is a natural by-product of the Police Blotter.

Here's the funny part: McInvale switched from Democrat to Republican last year ... then lost her re-election bid to the Democratic candidate.

McInvale, 52, a public-relations director by trade, was elected to District 36 in Orange County in 2002 and was re-elected to a second term. The district stretches from Azalea Park to Eatonville and includes much of downtown Orlando.

A political moderate who had ideological disputes with the Democratic Party, McInvale became a Republican last year.

[Current Rep. Scott] Randolph then defeated her 61 percent to 39 percent.

McInvale later was hired by the Florida Chamber of Commerce as an advocate for Florida businesses.

In 2005, McInvale filed a financial-disclosure form listing $4,000 in assets, income from her state job of $29,916 and miscellaneous income of $8,040 through Dec. 31, 2004. Orange County Clerk of Courts records show that mortgage companies foreclosed on a $100,000 Orlando condo she owned through 2002.

Each of the five third-degree-felony charges McInvale is facing carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Stuart is facing three third-degree-felony charges.

So, let's add another Republican criminal accused person to the Florida GOP Police Blotter. You can bet your bottom dollar there'll be more ...