September 16, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL A Punta Gorda woman has been arrested after she was discovered on video engaging in a sexual act with the family dog. Charlotte County Sheriff's Office detectives began an investigation after learning of social media posts that alleged that a woman had engaged in sexual activity with a... Continue Reading →

September 16, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL A Punta Gorda man was arrested after being seen on video punching a puppy and continuing abuse until its death. On September 13th, 2026, a crime tip was received from one of the local news outlets with a video depicting a man, identified as Neil R. Puterbaugh (7/6/1973),... Continue Reading →

August 31, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes detectives are investigating a suicide attempt by an inmate at the Charlotte County Jail. On 08/29/2026, Major Crimes Detectives with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office responded to an attempted suicide at the Charlotte County Jail. During the investigation, detectives discovered at 11:32 AM, Charlotte... Continue Reading →

August,19, 2026 - Charlotte County, FL A Letter From Sheriff Bill Prummell "Dear Friends and Neighbors, As your Sheriff, I am honored to serve a community that values courage, service, and the safety of our families. As we have settled into our new home at the CCSO Administration Building, I am so appreciative of the... Continue Reading →

August 14,2026 - Punta Gorda, FL A Punta Gorda man has been arrested after he was found to be in possession of child sexual abuse material and child pornography images. On June 24, 2026, The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit received a CyberTip Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children... Continue Reading →

July 31, 2026 - Charlotte County, FL “On June 30, 2026, we received formal written notice from the State Attorney's Office indicating, after a full review of the case, it has been determined that there was no violation of the law. DFC Poole did not take an active role in the subsequent investigation but provided an electronically signed statement through his attorney. DFC... Continue Reading →

Extending victim communication throughout the criminal justice process with VINE® and Versaterm CommunityConnectTM Charlotte County, FL - July 23, 2026 – The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) today announced the launch of an enhanced victim notification system that updates victims throughout the criminal justice process. Powered by VINE® and Versaterm CommunityConnectTM, the integrated system enables... Continue Reading →

July 21, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL A traffic stop resulted in the arrest of a convicted felon with more than half a pound of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm. Just after 2:30pm on Saturday, July 18, a Charlotte County deputy with the STAR (Strategic Targeted Area Response) Unit observed a vehicle commit a... Continue Reading →

July 13, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL Around 10:30pm on Friday, July 3, members of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office STAR (Strategic Targeted Area Response) Unit and K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck that failed to make a complete stop at a stop sign. When a deputy made contact with the... Continue Reading →

July 7, 2026 - Punta Gorda, FL A device resembling a hand grenade resulted in a brief evacuation and a call to the Lee County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad. Around 1:30pm on Monday, July 6, deputies responded to a Punta Gorda residence on Fairway Drive after a landlord reported that they discovered a hand grenade... Continue Reading →