About Tony
The Sheriff We Need
Luis Antonio Fernández, nicknamed Tony, was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. From an early
age, Tony was taught the importance of having respect for others, the importance of working
hard, and standing for what he believes in. Being raised to value justice and service, Tony’s focus
went toward a career in public service.
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In 1994, Tony graduated from the Inter American University (Aguadilla campus). The Inter
American University is an accredited private Christian college, established in 1912. Tony earned
an Associate of Arts degree in criminal investigations and a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice.
During his last semester he was selected to attend the prestigious John Jay College of Criminal
Justice in New York as an exchange student. Only one other student was chosen from a short list
of 20 applicants.
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In 1995, Tony’s law enforcement career started when he became a Special Agent of the Puerto
Rico State Police (PRPD). He entered as a patrol officer, but his work ethic earned him a position
within the Tactical Surveillance Team, a unit whose mission was investigating corruption in the
different branches of government down to public safety departments. The team focused on corruption involving political figures. The unit reported directly to the office of the governor. The time Tony spent with the team afforded him training opportunities with The US Secret Service, DEA, FBI, and the ATF. Tony’s investigative experience includes auditing million-dollar budgets and tracking spending to detect fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds. In 1996, Puerto Rico served as headquarters for the National Governors Association convention. Tony was assigned as dignitary protection and personal guide for the Honorable Paul Patton, then-governor of the State of Kentucky. As a result of Tony’s exemplary service to the governor, he was awarded the title of Honorary Colonel of the State of Kentucky, the highest award of honor that the Governor of Kentucky can bestow. When Puerto Rico hosted the event in 1998, Governor Patton personally requested Tony to fulfill his former role. As a testament to Tony’s service, Governor Patton made it clear that if Tony could not be assigned to him, he would not attend the convention.
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In 2000, Tony moved his family to Orlando. He worked in the private sector as a director of
investigative operations for a small investigative firm. In 2002, he moved to Osceola County and worked as a supervisor of loss prevention for Giorgio Armani.
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In 2005, he returned to public service as a deputy sheriff for the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Tony served within the office for 14 years. During that time, he worked as a road patrol deputy, a
field training officer, and a detective. He also helped with in-service training as a firearms instructor and driving instructor, which are two of the most important high liability areas for the office. If you ask Tony what his favorite part of working at the sherif’s office was, he will proudly state, “helping people solve their problems.”
Tony is currently working for the Office of the Inspector General for the Florida Department of
Correction, as a Law Enforcement Inspector Detective. He is responsible for conducting criminal
and related investigations of state prisons in and around Central Florida.
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Tony is happily married to Carmen, the love of his life. Together they have successfully combined their families from previous marriages into one. They have raised seven children and have been blessed with eight grandchildren. They have two dogs and live on a small farmstead in west Osceola County.