Carson Lee Plank, 23, is charged with providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation.

SARASOTA — A Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy who has been employed for just over a year has been arrested after being accused of lying to detectives during the criminal investigation into former deputy Frankie Bybee.

Carson Lee Plank, 23, was released on her own recognizance following a first appearance Thursday. She is charged with a single count of providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation.

Plank’s employment status is pending the outcome of the criminal and internal affairs investigations.

The deputy was identified as one of the first to respond to the home of a 79-year-old woman who said Bybee came into her house and attempted to kill her. Bybee was put on administrative leave Jan. 9 after the woman contacted the Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 20 and said he was harassing her.

Bybee befriended the elderly woman, who was in need of medical care when he first responded to a call for help at her home in October. He is charged with attempted murder, burglary of a dwelling, exploitation of an elderly woman, battery on a person over 65 years of age, three counts of petit theft, and forging a public certificate.

His bail was set at $1,033,120 at his first appearance Jan. 24, but was lowered following a bond hearing. He is eligible to post bail on a total bond amount of $380,120.

The Sheriff’s Office said Plank told detectives she did not see anything out of the ordinary at the victim’s home on Jan. 12, and had not had contact with her colleague, Bybee, since he was placed on administrative leave.

The Sheriff's Office says when Plank was interviewed Jan. 19, she disclosed to detectives that she was untruthful during her interview with detectives the day of the incident. She admitted to finding and photographing with a cellphone a drop of blood with human hair on Jan. 12.

She did not submit the photograph as evidence and following the incident she contacted Bybee to make him aware of the questions detectives had asked her related to the attempted murder investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Phone records obtained by detectives confirmed the communication between Plank and Bybee.

After the Jan. 19 interview, Plank was placed on administrative leave.