Daniel Colvin

LIVE OAK, Fla. — A former director of research at the University of Florida’s Plant Science Research and Education Unit was arrested Friday for scheme to defraud and grand theft.

According to the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, Daniel Lamar Colvin, 58, of Micanopy, met with Tri-County Irrigation to purchase irrigation equipment for University of Florida’s Plant Science Research and Education Unit farm in Citra on or around May 15, 2015.

The report states that the suspect asked Tri-County Irrigation to produce inflated invoices for the UF farm and Colvin Farm’s LLC resulting in $14,030 in overages.

According to the report, the suspect then submitted the invoice to Colvin Farm’s for cost share to Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The report states that the suspect’s actions resulted in the theft of $10,220 of UF funds and $5,882 of excess cost share from FDACS.

Colvin has been charged with scheme to defraud less than $20,000 and grand theft for more than $10,000.

According to the Gainesville Sun, the suspect was terminated from his director position in September 2016 after a loaded firearm was found in a mounted holster under his desk.

The Sun previously reported that he had been placed on administrative leave in May 2016 around the time a trespass warning was issued that banned the suspect from all UF properties statewide. According to the paper, that warning was later withdrawn.