Bob Gualtieri being sworn in to finish Jim Coats' term
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has announced that he would not be seeking criminal charges against four former narcotics detectives. The four are accused of trespassing on private property in order to gather evidence to get search warrants on marijuana grow houses. Three were resigned and the fourth was fired. For up-to-date news accounts of this story, photos and to post a comment, please access the links below:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department Message Board
02/18/2013 – Pinellas sheriff won’t seek criminal charges for ex-deputies
06/28/2012 – Pinellas sheriff launches criminal investigation of four former narcotics detectives
06/22/2012 – Third narcotics detective resigns in Pinellas grow house investigation
06/21/2012 – Second Pinellas narcotics officer resigns before testifying under oath
06/20/2012 – Pinellas deputy Christopher Taylor resigns rather than face Internal Affairs investigation
06/18/2012 – Pinellas narcotics detective resigns after seeing sheriff’s evidence against him
06/18/2012 – PCSO narcotics detective resigned Monday after allegations he broke the law to bust pot Video
04/07/2012 – Pinellas sheriff vows to sniff out truth of detectives, internal affairs in marijuana cases
Sheriff Bob, who is a lawyer by trade, has a history with NOT investigating crimes against fellow officers. Such one example of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shielding their comrades from felony prosecution is the case of Sandra Rena Wilson; Assistant Chief for the City of Clearwater.
Descriptive Summary of the facts – http://www.lakexposed.com/?page_id=3903
Wilson, a former FDLE employee for 21 years, received the ultimate FREE PASS on five felony complaints in July 2012.
Sheriff Bob received the initial criminal complaints instead of Clearwater Chief Holloway due expressedly to four accomplices to one of the felony complaints issued against D/C Wilson. Her accomplices are Clearwater P.D. Officers directly under her command.
Sheriff Bob deployed the criminal complaint issued to his office over to Clearwater P.D. and refused to investigate the crimes unless invited by the suspects. Makes sense I guess?
Ironically, one of the felony complaints against D/C Wilson details her specific involvment in “covering the back” of another leo officers in 2008. Lake County Deputy Derek Lynn Deland committed over $ 100,000 in disaster aid fraud as proven and the evidence was delivered to and discussed with FDLE Wilson and Michael Giddens. See FDLE Report # OR-48-0253.
Bob backed the felonies D/C Wilson committed and ultimately is now named as an accomplice himself. He makes a real good liar aka lawyer and even a better Sheriff as he fits right in with the rest of the trash operating under the protection of a tin star in the State of Florida.
Once upon a time, law enforcement officers were well respected. Times have change and it is no small wonder how the citizens have endured the corruption of the men of women who are sworn in to “protect & serve” their communities.