Felon mistakenly released from Brevard jail

A man serving felony probation for trafficking heroin was mistakenly released from Brevard County jail on bond when he should have been held until he saw a judge, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

Court records show Lamanceo Dorsey, 35, was arrested April 30 on charges of burglary and grand theft. Cocoa police accused him of stealing from Space Coast Honda on West King Street. He was allowed to post the $7,000 bond for those charges the same day, without making an initial appearance before a judge.

But he should have been held without bond until he saw a judge because he was on probation for the heroin conviction, according to rules established in an administrative order by the local court. Ivey said jail staff released him on bond for the most recent arrests, thinking that bond superseded the administrative order.

"Our team interpreted the administrative order differently than it is written and the guy was released," Ivey said.

Ivey said deputies aren't searching for Dorsey. They're waiting for his probation officer to decide whether he should be arrested again for violating probation on the heroin conviction.

Ivey said the jail releases about 27,000 to 30,000 people each year. He said procedure and policy didn't fail, but were misinterpreted. Staff responsible for releasing inmates will get remedial training on the administrative order.

In 2011, Brandon Bradley was mistakenly released from jail on bond because he posed as his half-brother. Bradley has been convicted of killing Deputy Barbara Pill about five months after that release.

Contact Ford at aford@floridatoday.com, 321-242-3601 or follow @andrewfordnews.