Public Defender Staffer Accused of Taking Nearly $65K

A Florida public defender’s office employee is accused of taking nearly $65,000 from a woman who trusted her to manage financial and legal matters while she was in jail.

Jessica McVay, 48, worked as a veterans affairs coordinator for the Public Defender’s Office in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit. Sarasota police arrested her Sept. 23 after investigators reviewed months of transactions from the jailed woman’s accounts.

Woman Asked for Help While She Was in Jail

Police say the two women knew one another through McVay’s work. When the other woman was jailed in August 2025, she asked McVay to help manage basic financial affairs while she was unable to do so herself.

The woman later signed a power-of-attorney document. Investigators say that authority gave McVay access to accounts and other financial information, but the woman told police she did not authorize McVay to spend the money for personal purposes.

The relationship placed McVay in a position of unusual trust: she was not an unknown caller or online stranger but someone the woman knew through an office connected to the legal system.

Nearly $65,000 in Transactions Questioned

The woman reported the suspected theft to Sarasota police on Aug. 18 after discovering charges, withdrawals and payments she said she did not recognize.

Investigators reviewed activity from November 2025 through July 2026 and calculated an estimated loss of $64,923.85.

According to police, the records included bank transfers, cash withdrawals, retail spending and payments toward credit cards associated with McVay. Investigators also allege that McVay opened or used financial accounts without the woman’s authorization.

Attorney Retainer Also Draws Scrutiny

Police say the woman believed part of her money would be used to retain an attorney while she was incarcerated.

Investigators later determined that the attorney she thought had been hired was not actually retained, according to local reporting based on the probable-cause affidavit.

That allegation became another part of the case because it involved both the power of attorney and the woman’s reliance on McVay to handle important decisions outside the jail.

Five Felony Charges Filed

McVay faces five felony counts, including grand theft, criminal use of personal identification and scheme to defraud. The exact charging language and dollar thresholds vary by count under Florida law.

The accusations remain allegations. McVay has not been convicted, and the case will have to be resolved through the courts.

Sarasota police have also said investigators are looking into whether there may be additional victims. Authorities have asked anyone with relevant information or similar dealings with McVay to contact the department.

For the woman who made the original report, the alleged losses accumulated over months while she was largely unable to monitor her accounts from jail. What began as a request for help managing bills and legal affairs has now become a felony case centered on whether that trust was used to gain access to nearly $65,000.

Investigators Look for Other Possible Victims

Police have publicly asked people who had similar financial dealings with McVay to come forward. That request does not mean additional crimes have been established; it signals that detectives are checking whether the conduct alleged by the first woman was isolated.

The public defender’s office connection is also likely to receive scrutiny because the alleged access grew out of a relationship formed through McVay’s job. Prosecutors will still have to prove that any transactions were unauthorized and that McVay acted with the intent required by the charged offenses.

As the case moves forward, bank records, credit-card statements and the power-of-attorney paperwork are expected to be central pieces of evidence. Those records may help the court distinguish between financial tasks the woman authorized and the spending police allege crossed into theft and fraud.

The victim’s incarceration is important to the allegation because it limited her ability to personally monitor routine financial activity. Police say that gap in oversight lasted for months, giving investigators a long transaction history to examine as they built the case.

References: How a Public Defender’s Office Employee Allegedly Stole $65K From a Woman Who Was in Jail | Public Defender Staffer Accused of Theft From Inmate | Palmetto woman charged with stealing nearly $65K from jailed acquaintance

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