Woman gets 5 months for telling judge she works for DEA

BROOKSVILLE – A 36-year-old Spring Hill woman was arrested in a Hernando County courtroom Thursday after misrepresenting herself as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

During a domestic violence hearing in front of Circuit Judge Stephen Toner, Jo Leigh Allen said she was a federal DEA agent.

Jo Leigh Allen

Judge Toner stopped the hearing, according to the sheriff’s office, and asked deputies to investigate her claim.

After finding out Allen was not in drug enforcement, Toner found her in direct civil contempt and sentenced her to 5 months and 29 days in the Hernando County Jail.

Court records show Allen filed the petition for a domestic violence injunction on Jan. 3. Records also show Allen filed an injunction in December, which was later dismissed.

Allen was arrested on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle in November, and spent 33 days in the jail before prosecutors dropped the charges.

In the past, Allen has been convicted of falsely reporting a crime, driving with a suspended license, felony petit theft, grand theft, possession of a controlled substance, DUI, fleeing and eluding police, resisting an officer, possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to sell.