JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has assumed leadership of the probe into the demise of Charles Faggart, a Jacksonville resident and chef, who passed away following an encounter at the Duval County Jail. This incident prompted the reassignment of nine officers back in April.

Since Faggart was admitted to the hospital on April 7, the State Attorney’s Office has been conducting an inquiry. His attorney reported that Faggart was brain dead upon his hospital arrival and eventually succumbed to his condition on April 10.

In the aftermath of Faggart’s passing, the JSO requested FBI involvement in reviewing the incident. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office performed its internal evaluation of the officers connected to the event, concluding their examination by July 7.

The State Attorney’s Office has been running its investigation concurrently with the FBI since April. However, as announced on Thursday, the FBI will now assume primary responsibility for the investigation.

The SAO released a comprehensive statement: “Our office launched an investigation into Charles Faggart’s death on April 7, 2025. In the days that followed, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sought the FBI’s assistance in examining the incident. From that point, our assessment has operated alongside the review conducted by our federal counterparts. Following discussions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our federal partners will now take the lead on this ongoing investigation.”

JSO said in a statement to First Coast News that “because the circumstances surrounding Charles Faggart’s death remain under investigation our agency cannot provide any additional information at this time.”

When the state and federal investigations have concluded, JSO will provide the public with a “complete briefing on the known facts and circumstances surrounding Mr. Faggart’s death,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office concluded: “Our agency looks forward the conclusion of these investigations, so we can transparently share all available information with the public.”

Faggart died on April 10 after an “incident” left him critically injured at the Duval County Jail. He was a beloved father and a well-known local chef.

He was in custody for simple assault and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors. 

JSO released a redacted version of the incident report on April 14, and the exact circumstances that led to Faggart’s death remain unclear. 

Nine officers were reassigned after they were connected to the case, and they are currently subject to investigation.

The State Attorney’s Office says it has received his autopsy report from the Medical Examiner’s Office, but it is not releasing it publicly while the investigation is still ongoing. 

A jail incident report from the incident that led to Faggart’s death claimed he told jail officials he was on fentanyl. The incident report was written by one of the nine corrections officers currently under investigation by JSO, the State Attorney’s Office and the FBI for the incident.

However, Faggart’s attorney, Belkis Plata, released a statement saying that he was not.

“Medical professionals we consulted have reviewed Charles’s hospital records and confirmed that no fentanyl was detected in his system upon admission—contrary to statements in a police report alleging that Charles told officers he had taken fentanyl,” Plata said in a statement on behalf of the family. “That statement came from officers who are themselves under investigation, and we maintain that this claim is false.”