A Lee County corrections officer was one of two men arrested on burglary charges after police found the two in an auto dealer’s lot where a bag of stolen lug nuts also was found Sunday morning.
Fort Myers police officers were dispatched to 2850 Colonial Boulevard in reference to a possible burglary in progress in the O’Brien Auto Mall vehicle lot at 2:18 a.m., authorities said. The complainant stated he observed two white males toss a small bag over the fence.
Upon arrival, the officers observed two men inside the fenced compound. Officers gave verbal commands for the men to stop, which they did. At first the two men denied any wrongdoing. As officers searched the area, they found a round nylon bag containing 18 lug nuts.
Further investigation revealed the two suspects had entered the compound with burglary tools and had already removed the lug nuts from a 2008 blue Subaru Impreza, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The two suspects were arrested and charged with burglary of a structure, possession of burglary tools with intent to use, and petty theft.
One of those arrested was Lee County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer William J. Edwards, 23, officials said. Edwards began work with the Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 23, 2007. Edwards was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs Investigation, according to the statement from the sheriff’s office issued Sunday.
The name of the second man was not released.
“While disappointing to say the least…the events of this weekend involving a Fort Myers police officer and a Lee County corrections officer being arrested proves the resolve of local law enforcement that nobody is above the law,” said Sheriff Mike Scott in the statement.
Fort Myers police officer Leon Young, 40, was charged with DUI early Saturday morning after he tried to avoid a DUI checkpoint on College Parkway by pulling into a parking lot, according to an earlier release by the sheriff’s office. Young also was placed on administrative leave.

Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office