Former Volusia County sheriff’s deputy John Braman's career has melted down, much like the sheriff plans to do to his badge, after investigators said Braman was caught on video from his own body camera plucking a couple of $100 bills from a driver’s wallet.

Braman's problems have prompted prosecutors to drop charges in at least 18 cases. The State Attorney's Office will send letters to defense attorneys in every case Braman has ever been involved in, alerting them to the allegations against the former deputy.

That probably means a lot of letters. The 33-year-old Braman has had a hand in about 800 arrests during his career, said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has the body cam video Chitwood said shows Braman taking the money and an admission from Braman that he took the cash.

Braman made 120 arrests in 2016, ranking him 22nd in arrests out of 388 deputies last year.

While Braman has not been charged with any crime, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is continuing to investigate.

Braman, an eight-year-deputy, was paid $60,000 in 2016 and resigned on Jan. 30. It's been a steep fall for Braman, who was once lauded for making an arrest along with another deputy despite both being shot by the suspect.

Braman, though, went rogue, said Chitwood, who was chief at the Daytona Beach Police Department for 10 years before donning the green uniform of the Sheriff’s Office this year after his election.

“It’s a black eye on law enforcement, which is already under attack,” Chitwood said. “He made a conscious decision to be a thug with a badge and he was shaking people down.”

Comments like that bother criminal defense attorney Michael Lambert, who is representing Braman. Lambert had already taken umbrage at an earlier comment from Chitwood that rocketed around the Internet, in which the sheriff called Braman a “thieving idiot.”

“I get very tired of someone like the sheriff swearing to uphold the Constitution, which includes that someone be given a fair trial, and yet be out there and saying everything he can to demean John Braman. But I also think it's to call attention to himself,” Lambert said in a phone interview.

Chitwood figuratively unloaded the cylinder in his revolver, which he prefers to semi-automatics, when told of Lambert’s comment.

“Only Lambert, who represents drug dealers and thugs and murderers, would object to somebody who confesses and is caught on video being called a thieving idiot,” Chitwood said.

Chitwood has had an officer accused of theft before. Daytona Beach Police Officer Robert Jay Rush, a crime suppression team member, was arrested in December 2007 after he was accused of stealing $90 that had been planted in a van as part of a sting. Police set up the sting after civilian and internal complaints about Rush. The State Attorney's Office subsequently declined to file charges in January 2008. Rush's law enforcement certificate was revoked.

Rush's defense attorney was Michael Lambert.

Charges dropped

The office of 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza has dismissed charges in 17 open cases in which Braman’s testimony was “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” according to Assistant State Attorney Shannon Peters.

They have also dropped the charge in a closed case against Charlotte Gonio, a Palm Coast woman who was arrested by Braman on a DUI charge, adjudicated guilty on Jan. 25, and was serving 12 months of probation.

Gonio told a reporter previously that she was carrying just over $400 when she was arrested by Braman last year. She said she never saw her money again. When she asked about it as she was released from jail, she was told by jail staff they didn’t have it.

"I didn’t push the situation. Like I said, it's $400 in cash. How am I supposed to prove to Volusia County that I had $400 in cash on me? There’s no way of proving it besides the fact that I’m telling you I had $400 in cash," Gonio said in a recent interview.

Gonio declined comment when reached after her charge was dropped. But her attorney John Hager said she was pleased with the results.

“She was very reassured with the process,” Hager said.

Assistant State Attorney Peters said that prosecutors have also agreed to drop charges against Thomas French, who is serving six months' probation on a reckless driving charge, which was reduced from DUI. It was body camera footage from French’s arrest that shows a man investigators said was Braman pulling a couple of $100 bills from French’s wallet. The video clearly shows Ben Franklin’s face on the bills.

French was not available for comment despite requests to his attorney, Flem Whited.

Peters said so far five attorneys have worked on identifying the cases involving Braman. Prosecutors will then send letters to all defense attorneys about the allegations against the former deputy. The defense attorneys would then have to file motions to start the process of attempting to reverse the convictions.

The defense attorneys for Corey Reynolds, the man convicted of shooting Braman in the arm and shoulder and grazing Deputy John Brady in the shoulder, will also get a letter. Reynolds, 33, is serving life for the 2011 shooting.

Prosecutors would then review any motions and decide whether Braman’s testimony is or was the only proof on a case-by-case basis, Peters wrote.

The Sheriff’s Office does not keep a list of theft accusations against deputies. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Gary Davidson said the office does not categorize internal affairs complaints by "theft or larceny" and it would take a lengthy hand-search of all complaints to determine if there were other such accusations in the Sheriff's Office.

The Volusia County jail had no records of complaints from inmates about the theft of money involving Braman last year, according to spokeswoman Joanne Magley.

Destroying a badge

Chitwood said he plans to melt Braman’s tarnished badge next time the Sheriff’s Office destroys guns and drugs. He said that destroying a badge from a corrupt cop was done at the Philadelphia Police Department, where he began and spent most of his career.

Chitwood said that Braman admitted to the FDLE that the video showed him taking the money. Braman told the FDLE he took the money because he was going through a divorce. But Braman did not say anything else.

“The amount of money he stole isn’t going to help you through a divorce,” Chitwood said.

He said there was plenty of opportunity for overtime at the Sheriff’s Office.

As part of the divorce, Braman filed a financial affidavit stating he earned a gross monthly salary of $4,056 with a net of $3,299. Braman listed as expenses, including expenses for two small children, that put him at a deficit of $2,593 per month. The divorce documents also stated Braman was to pay $900 a month in child support for the two young children.

On Pins and Needles

Lambert, Braman's defense attorney, said the divorce took an emotional and financial toll on his client. The attorney declined to make Braman available for an interview.

Braman has voluntarily surrendered his law enforcement certificate, Lambert said. But that was not because Braman is guilty of anything but rather because of the embarrassment and stain the controversy and publicity about him has brought on law enforcement, Lambert said.

Lambert said that he believes the FDLE will check into claims of missing money.

“I would like some corroboration somewhere other than somebody saying, ‘Hey, I had this much money,’ and at this late a date reporting it as missing. It becomes very convenient,” Lambert said.

He said that Braman is on “pins and needles” wondering what the future holds for him as the FDLE continues its investigation.

“It’s difficult going from a law enforcement officer one day and then being stripped of all that, by way of resignation, and constantly seeing people, including your former boss, talking gutturally about you,” Lambert said.

That former boss is of course Chitwood, who is known for not holding back when asked for his opinion.

Lambert likened Chitwood to a “circus ring leader” or “jester” drawing attention to himself.

“What Sheriff Chitwood likes to do now is go out in the media and express in his most venomous terms his opinion of someone, who may or may not be charged with a crime,” Lambert said.

Chitwood said Lambert sold his services to "the highest bidder."

“One day he is cross-examining cops calling them corrupt and questioning their motives and the next day he is defending a cop and taking exception to the person being called a ‘thieving idiot,' " Chitwood said. "I think the hypocrite is Lambert. And people think he is some kind of F. Lee Bailey.”

Lambert said he will take anyone that comes to him and he has often worked for free. He said Chitwood doesn't understand that a criminal defense attorney is protecting people's rights, that includes rights that would protect Chitwood should he ever need them.