Mathew Eisenberg, Broward deputy charged with beating up homeless man in 2011, turns himself in

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Broward sheriff's deputy has surrendered on criminal charges at the main jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Mathew E. Eisenberg, 39, turned himself in around 8 a.m. this morning. He is accused of beating up a homeless man in the Tamarac area last year.

Eisenberg is charged with official misconduct, a felony, and battery and falsifying records, both misdemeanors. He is expected to be released from the jail in a few hours after posting bail.

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said his agency will not tolerate misconduct by employees.

"As I have said before, we want to police ourselves," Lamberti said. "We're not going to sweep this under the rug. We have zero tolerance for bad behavior. The public expects us to uphold a higher standard. Our job is to protect the public, not abuse them."

The deputy's attorney, Alberto Milian, said Eisenberg will plead not guily and fight the charges.

"This is another hack job by BSO internal affairs ... to go after a good cop and get some pre-election publicity for Lamberti," Milian said.

"[Eisenberg] made an arrest of a guy and he did his report and he did his job. He wrote a report and we're sticking by it," Milian added.

Eisenberg has been with the agency since 1994, according to state records.

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