PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A Putnam County court clerk was arrested June 10 and charged with multiple felonies after investigators said she unlawfully accessed and shared confidential arrest-warrant information with known drug traffickers, the sheriff said Friday.
Jabaria Cartos, 33, of Palatka, was arrested and initially charged with two counts of obstructing a criminal investigation by a public servant, one count of computer fraud for accessing a protected database without authority and a count of tampering.
Investigators later added 15 more felony counts of obstructing an investigation, bringing the total to 17 felony charges. Cartos, who worked for the Putnam County Courthouse for nearly a year, is free on a $200,000 bond, Sheriff Gator DeLoach said.
Detectives with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said their probe identified between 60 and 80 criminal investigations that Cartos’ alleged disclosures may have compromised.
Each case is being reviewed using audit logs, digital forensics, communications and witness interviews to determine what information was accessed and who received it.
One day before her arrest, deputies were executing a search warrant at a home, but the suspects knew they were coming ahead of time.
DeLoach said investigators recovered a Snapchat screenshot showing a confidential arrest warrant on a courthouse computer screen and traced the image to the recipient who said they got it from Cartos.
“The confidential information Cartos unlawfully accessed and shared warned known drug traffickers that law enforcement was coming,” the sheriff said, adding that the disclosures gave suspects a chance to destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses, evade arrest and place deputies in danger.
“Every doorway becomes more dangerous,” he said. “Every traffic stop becomes more unpredictable and every warrant service carries greater risk.”
DeLoach did confirm that no deputies or officers have been injured as a result of the warrant information being released.
Investigators said Cartos accessed the criminal court information system, at times from her home, and distributed protected information, including about 20 screenshots related to one operation.
In one message cited by detectives, Cartos wrote, “I get to keep the hood informed,” followed by a laughing emoji.
Clerk of Courts Matt Reynolds said his office cooperated fully with the sheriff’s investigators, preserved audit trails and immediately revoked her access when the source of the leak was identified.
Reynolds said she was terminated and called for the maximum punishment allowed by law. He praised his staff for their professionalism and said the misconduct does not reflect the office as a whole.
Officials warned the investigation remains active and said they expect additional charges as more evidence is uncovered. Investigators have not ruled out pursuing racketeering-related charges if the probe shows broader criminal coordination.
“The people of Putnam County deserve public servants who understand that access to confidential information is a privilege, not a weapon to protect criminals,” DeLoach said.