A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy has been arrested on federal identity-theft charges after investigators found he was using his department-issued laptop to gather and then sell people’s information.

Frantz Felisma, 42, allegedly used a law-enforcement database to get personal identification information and sold at least 15 people’s information. With a co-conspirator, they set up credit-card and bank accounts and stole tens of thousands of dollars, according to authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami said.

Felisma has been a deputy with the department since 2009, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Felisma was in court Thursday, represented by attorney Jason Kreiss. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman ordered Felisma be held in detention because he is a flight risk until his next hearing Dec. 28. Felisma, who was arrested Wednesday, is from Haiti, his mother still lives there and he visits constantly. Felisma is also believed to be friendly with a police chief in Haiti and is politically connected.

Felisma’s wife was crying as her husband stood in court shackled and wearing a blue jumpsuit.

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Staff writer Jane Musgrave contributed to this story.