State investigators have decided they are done with Pembroke Park’s commissioner pay scandal, and Mayor Geoffrey Jacobs is not exactly sending them a thank-you card.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has closed its probe into taxpayer-funded payments to Commissioner William Hodgkins and will not file criminal charges. An internal review obtained by Local 10 News details how about $86,461.58 moved through the town payroll to Hodgkins between August 2024 and March 2026, with only about $16,799 repaid. FDLE’s exit comes as commissioners and staff wrestle with how to claw back money and shore up weak internal controls. The case has now been kicked to the Broward County Office of Inspector General while town leaders try to figure out what to do next.
FDLE closes probe and hands case to inspector general
In an April 15 letter, an FDLE special agent said the agency had reviewed allegations involving Hodgkins, Town Manager David Lynch and former Deputy Town Manager Chandler Williamson and would not pursue criminal charges. According to Local 10 News, the Broward State Attorney’s Office declined prosecution after concluding there was no Florida statute that fit the conduct described. FDLE then shut down its investigation and referred the matter to the Broward County Office of Inspector General.
Jacobs, clearly unhappy, took to Facebook to say the decision was “not because the conduct is acceptable, but because they claim it doesn’t fit a statute they’re willing to charge,” and reminded residents that “public office is not a personal bank account for elected officials.”
Internal review flags loan-like advances and flimsy controls
The town’s March internal review reported that there was no commission-approved policy allowing loans or advances to elected officials and warned that the payroll setup “appear[s] inconsistent with standard governmental internal-control principles.” Per Local 10 News, records show $86,461.58 in payments were pushed to Hodgkins through payroll between August 2024 and March 2026, with $16,799 repaid at the time the review wrapped.
The same review says Town Manager David Lynch issued a blanket approval in April 2025 that stripped away some finance-department oversight. It recommended that the town immediately stop nonstandard disbursements and move to recover any outstanding funds.
Why no charges The tricky legal standard
Florida’s ethics code bars public officers from corruptly using their positions to secure a special benefit, but actually proving that is a tall order. Prosecutors have to show corrupt intent or similarly tough elements, which raises the bar for any criminal case. That standard is laid out in state law and unpacked in opinions from the state Commission on Ethics, which helps explain why prosecutors may walk away even when the paperwork screams “governance failure.”
Political fallout and what comes next
The FDLE decision dropped into a town that was already on edge. Pembroke Park has been mired in months of political infighting over residency and governance questions, complete with lawsuits and tense special meetings. Commissioners have publicly floated more audits and possible personnel moves, and the town’s agenda materials show they are still working through policy fixes and recovery options. For a taste of how busy that has kept everyone, see the town’s Town of Pembroke Park special commission agenda packet. Hoodline’s earlier coverage has also tracked the feud that has roiled the dais this winter.
From here, the process shifts into slow-burn mode. The Broward County Office of Inspector General will review the referral, the commission may try to recover money through administrative channels, and the town is under pressure to put clear payroll controls and repayment rules in writing. Residents should expect more public meetings, potential audits and a steady drip of records as the case moves from FDLE to county oversight. OIG timelines vary and can stretch from weeks into months.
