Durfey

By Fallan Patterson

Osceola County Clerk of Court Republican candidate Oliver “Dan” Durfey is facing embezzlement charges for allegedly using a Poinciana church's funds for more than two years for personal expenses including to fund his campaign.

Durfey posted $21,000 bond Sunday after turning himself in to the Hardee County Sheriff's Office to answer to one count each of scheming to defraud (first-degree felony), grand theft (second-degree felony) and illegal use of a credit card (third-degree felony).

Durfey, 54, of 669 Deauville Court in Kissimmee, is accused of obtaining a debit card in his name while working as the administrator of First Baptist Church of Poinciana, 601 Walnut Street on the Polk County side of Poinciana.

His position at the church gave him access to all of the church's financial accounts and records. Church officials were unaware Durfey had a debit card issued in his name, the charging affidavit stated. The debit card was attached to the church's two checking accounts and one saving account.

Durfey allegedly stole more than $56,700 from April 2010 to June 2012 to make purchases from a $2.14 charge to Redbox movie rentals to multiple transactions of $1,000 or more for cash or to other bank accounts, according to the charging affidavit.

Purchases were also made a various retail outlets, for cell phone service, at Georgia hotels and for gas and food.

Additionally, Durfey used the account to purchase booths for two political venues during his campaign for Osceola County Clerk of Court.

Church officials became suspicious of Durfey when a trustee found documents in Durfey's trash can and showed them to Pastor Jim Rogers, according to the affidavit.

Rogers and two others employees then began checking through the church's banking accounts, making the discovery about Durfey's alleged indiscretions.

According to Durfey's campaign material, he has 36 years experience in business management with major companies including McDonald's, 7-11 and U-Haul, and his experience includes record keeping, accounts receivable and payable, and local and federal regulations for the Internal Revenue Service.

“I believe that public office should be run on the same principals as a profitable, successful corporation, which I have done for more than three decades, and that Osceola County needs a strong business leader,” Durfey wrote on his campaign material.

These are not Durfey's first charges dealing with fraud and illegally using a credit card. Durfey has a long criminal history in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, dating back to 1976 in Miami-Dade County.

It was in Miami that Durfey was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and loitering and prowling in April 1976 and again for loitering and prowling in Sept. of that same year.

He was arrested in 1977 in Miami for three counts each of forgery and possession of a forgery instrument, one count of concealing stolen property, one count of fraud for illegal use of a credit card – he was in possession of at least two illegal credit cards – and 30 counts of possession of stolen property.

In 1979, Miami-Dade police again arrested him, this time for vehicle theft.

The Mount Dora Police Department arrested Durfey in July 1981 for dealing in stolen property and he was arrested again in Sept. 1981 for probation violation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

In July 1984, Miami-Dade police arrested Durfey for armed robbery and battery.

In Feb. 1986, he was arrested for burglary by the Eustis Police Department and was again arrested for probation violation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office in April 1998.

Before this last incident in Polk County, Durfey was last arrested by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in Oct. 1996 for fraudulently obtaining unemployment compensation.

Durfey's race for Clerk of Court ends Tuesday in the election primary. He is running against three other Republicans for a spot on the general election ballot in November.

According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, candidates qualify for office by being registered voters, which Durfey is. He would be ineligible to run for office if he were a convicted felon.