ORLANDO, Fla. — A former juvenile probation officer accused of leaking court information to a drug trafficking group appeared before a judge Friday, where her request for a bond reduction was denied.
Crystal Lawson, 32, faces 114 felony charges, including 113 counts of unauthorized access under computer crime laws and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Lawson’s attorneys asked the court to lower her $1 million bond and allow her to return home under conditions that would restrict her access to computers and the internet.
The judge denied the request.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Lawson allegedly used access she retained as a former juvenile probation officer to obtain information about cases and pass that information to a drug trafficking group.
Lawson worked as a juvenile probation officer beginning in February 2022 but was terminated later that year after being arrested for battery.
OCSO says her access to the records system was never revoked after her termination.
The sheriff’s office said Lawson logged into the state’s Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, 106 times between January and May of this year. Investigators allege she searched for active arrest warrants, identified co-defendants and leaked details about future arrests.
The analysis also stated that the system contained 150 million cases and 400 million names at the time (2019).
OCSO said the alleged leaks resulted in the loss of evidence and unrecovered assets and allowed one suspect to flee from arrest.
According to a Florida House of Representatives analysis of a criminal justice data transparency bill from 2019, the state has used CCIS since 2002. The analysis stated that the system is used across local and state agencies and contains information on inmates, cases and charges, warrants, sentencing records and other court-related data.
The analysis also stated that the system contained 150 million cases and 400 million names at the time.
“In my 20-plus years in working in criminal justice, I’ve never seen a case that was this widespread where somebody was able to use access to allegedly help an entire criminal organization,” criminal defense attorney Ryan Vescio said.
Authorities have not responded to questions about how Lawson maintained access to the system after leaving her position or what steps are being taken to prevent a similar situation from occurring again.
Lawson faces 113 counts of unauthorized access under computer crime laws and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. Authorities said each count carries a maximum sentence of five years.
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