Darryl Daniels has made a few not-so-popular moves these past few years. The Florida sheriff, who worked in Clay County, recently made the news when he tried to stage the arrest of his mistress.
Cierra Smith, who was his former employee, was secretly with Darryl for six years. However, when attempting to meet up, Darryl went behind her back and called the cops. He told them that Cierra was stalking him. His wife, whom he had just told about the years-long affair, was filming the entire interaction.
Darryl went so far as to say he was in "imminent danger." However, he was well-aware that it was Cierra driving behind him. Cierra has since quit her job, as expected. She also plans to take legal action. But the incident was one of many that put Darryl behind bars. He's had a few shady stories that show he's abused his power.
Florida authorities filed four charges against Darryl after investigating him for a full year. However, Darryl still plans to run for reelection as sheriff. It may be tough for his community to have faith in him, but he believes this incident shouldn't distract his town from the work he did as sheriff. He's also mentioned that the timing of all of these events was a little fishy.
"I want you to look past the smokescreen of dirty politics," Darryl said in a video, per The Washington Post. "One thing I take ownership of as a man is my failures as a husband. That has nothing to do with me as a sheriff." However, despite the affair, he still tried to set someone up for a crime they didn't commit.
Darryl was released without bond but was still charged with a felony for tampering with evidence. But it's important to know that this wasn't the only questionable move that he's made during his time as sheriff. Just this summer, he claimed that he'd deputize every gun owner in Clay County if riots and protests broke out.
Right before Darryl Daniels' arrest, Governor Ron DeSantis removed the sheriff from his position. However, Darryl is still planning on running again. According to Jacksonville news, State Attorney Brad King said that Darryl was offered a deal. If he were to resign and drop out, he'd still be eligible for his pension.
However, Darryl refused. If he didn't, he could have avoided jail time. That means he's still failing to realize anything he did was faulty. However, the situation with his mistress wasn't the only sketchy dealing he participated in throughout the years. There were also his texts to Armeshia Johnson.
Armeshia Johnson was reportedly harassed by Darryl, who found her contact information through a law enforcement database, which is illegal. While they didn't live close to each other, they did have a connection in a strange way. Armeshia is currently dating Cierra Smith's ex-husband.
Despite the romantic connection, Armeshia didn't know why Darryl would text her. She was familiar with her boyfriend's past, and it wasn't an issue for her. The texts from Darryl started in 2017 and didn't stop. Eventually, those messages would lead to his investigation.
Armeshia explained to News4Jax that the texts started randomly. "I was out with some friends on my birthday in September 2017 when a Jacksonville number consistently called me back to back," she said. "I then received a text message saying, 'Hey this is Darryl, put your big girl panties on, I have something to tell you."
"At this time, I can say that it almost brings me to tears that I am very scared for my safety because Darryl knew so much about me," she said. "He knew the VIN number to my car. He knew where I worked, where I lived, and it's scary."
Armeshia was suddenly exposed, and it was because Darryl misused company property. Looking up and using her phone number and personal information is something he never should have done. Even worse, some of the messages that Darryl sent were sexually inappropriate.
For one, News4Jax reports that Armeshia got a birthday message from him one year on Facebook that read "Happy birthday sexy booty." The message was a shock. "It caught me by surprise," she admitted. "My first reaction was, you know, what do you mean by that?"
As it turns out, Darryl did have photos of her that he shouldn't have had — which is terrifying. "He informed me that he did have a picture of me that he received from Cierra and he was able to describe the picture and he was able to show me the picture and, of course, I know my body," she said. "I know it's me."
The entire incident was especially scary, as Darryl was in a position of authority. He had the upper hand, and he went ahead and used a law enforcement database in a way he reportedly swore not to. These resources are only supposed to be for professional use, but Darryl used them as a way to harass a woman who wasn't even in his jurisdiction.
It's one of the many reasons as to why Armeshia doesn't think that Darryl should be able to keep his title. "He abused that power when he broke the law," she stated. "And, as citizens, we would be held accountable, and I think it's very much so that he should be held accountable for his actions."
The story itself is terrifying — and a reminder as to what abusing power looks like. However, Darryl is sticking by his innocence. As for Cierra, she seems to regret the relationship. At the time, she was only 21 while Darryl was 48. She likely never thought it'd end the way it did — with his plot to arrest her.
