ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A former assistant police chief in St. Augustine, Anthony Cuthbert, is under investigation by the state attorney’s office following the discovery of financial discrepancies in the St. Augustine Police Benevolent Organization (PBO).
The Saint Augustine Police Department announced the investigation in a press release, revealing that the discrepancies were identified during a review of the PBO’s financial accounts.
Recommended Videos
News4JAX spoke with Cuthbert’s attorney, Terry Shoemaker, who said his client is cooperating fully with the state attorney’s investigation. However, Shoemaker expressed disappointment that the police department released information about the possible financial discrepancies while the investigation is ongoing.
The PBO is a private, officer-funded nonprofit that supports officers in times of need. It operates independently from both the City of St. Augustine and the St. Augustine Police Department.
According to the police department, Anthony Cuthbert served as treasurer of the PBO starting in 2003. Cuthbert retired from the St. Augustine Police Department in November 2025.
Shortly after his retirement, financial discrepancies were discovered during a review of the PBO’s accounts. The Office of the State Attorney is conducting an investigation, which includes reviewing financial records from the past five years.
Shoemaker told News4JAX by phone, “I think it’s unprofessional. I think they are doing it with ulterior motives in mind. And I think it is utterly irresponsible for them to make a comment about an investigation that is nowhere near being finished or any decisions have been made on how they are going to proceed at the state attorney’s office.”
When asked if Cuthbert had a message for the public, Shoemaker said, “No, not at this point. He (Cuthbert) is embarrassed based on the post they made on Facebook and he’s ashamed that people are seeing his name in this light where he spent so many years protecting the community doing everything he could for the city of Saint Augustine.”
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said he was surprised the police department released the notice before any arrest decision but understands it may be about transparency.
“I’m honestly glad that they did that,” Hackney said. He added, “Funds like this totally erode the public trust and especially with the PBO and what it does, it’s just something that you want to make sure the public has a good belief in what’s going on there.”
The City of St. Augustine and the St. Augustine Police Department have no authority over or involvement in the administration or financial management of the PBO. City officials and SAPD leadership are cooperating fully with any requests related to the investigation.
The State Attorney’s Office for District 7 declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.