Pinal detention sergeant arrested, accused of fraud

A 53-year-old sergeant in the Pinal County Adult Detention Facility was arrested early Friday on charges he committed fraud while on the job, authorities say.

Amado S. Martinez of Florence was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies and faces 18 felony charges - 10 for forgery, three for fraudulent schemes, two for identity theft and one each for theft, computer tampering and unlawful possession of an access device, according to a booking record. Details of what led to the indictment, which was issued Thursday, were not available Friday from either the Pinal County sheriff's office or attorney's office.

The case remains under investigation by county prosecutors, according to sheriff's spokesman Mike Minter. In the indictment, Martinez is accused of issuing, reissuing or voiding checks from the Pinal County sheriff's office inmate funds and cashing them.The office also discovered 10 forged signatures on checks that may have been from Martinez, the indictment states.

The indictment also says Martinez altered inmate records within PCSO computer programs and obtained computer log-in information that was not his own.