Ex-Nassau County deputy charged in towing kickback scheme

John Galloway was fired Nov. 22, the same day a warrant was issued for his arrest

File photo (WJXT 2019)

YULEE, Fla. – A Nassau County deputy has been fired after authorities say he hatched a scheme to score kickbacks for steering business to his then-girlfriend’s fledgling towing company.

John Daniel Galloway, 35, of Callahan, was arrested Nov. 22 at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. He was booked on a felony charge of unlawful compensation for official behavior and released the next day after posting $15,000 bond, Nassau County jail records show.

Recommended Videos



Attempts on Tuesday to reach Galloway and his attorney were unsuccessful.

The arrest is the fallout of an internal investigation launched last month in response to a complaint filed by an ex-girlfriend, who accused Galloway of abusing his power. She told investigators Galloway took an interest in her towing business and proposed a way they could both benefit financially from it.

According to Galloway’s arrest warrant, he explained that they could sidestep the Sheriff’s Office’s towing rotation by saying drivers involved in crashes requested towing service from her business, Atlas Towing. She said the plan was for her to make $318 from each call and pay him $50 in return.

She said Galloway admitted he struck a similar deal with another company, but the business was paying him back in alcohol under that arrangement, the warrant states. She provided investigators with her phone and they found text messages between the pair that backed up her story.

Galloway, who was employed by the Sheriff’s Office since 2018, has since been fired.