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TAMPA — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will consider the future of a Tampa police officer who resigned amid allegations of misconduct with a prostitute.
Antonio Rosario, an 18-year veteran of the department, resigned in November during an internal affairs inquiry as officials investigated claims he let a woman go free, despite warrants for her arrest, after she exposed herself to him in a flea market bathroom.
Now, state officials will decide whether or not Rosario will remain a certified law enforcement officer in Florida. The first hearing in the matter is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Rosario could not be reached for comment.
On May 26, 2007, Rosario worked an off-duty job at the International Flea Market on Nebraska Avenue. There, he met a woman, Brittany Josten, who told him she was a prostitute, said the internal affairs report.
Josten told investigators the officer asked her how much she charged for her services and where she would take a customer. Rosario told her they couldn't go to his house because his wife was there, Josten told investigators.
In a bathroom at the flea market, Josten exposed her private areas to the police officer, she told investigators.
She said Rosario then ran her name through the computer system in his patrol car, and he found two outstanding warrants for her arrest. She joked that he should handcuff her and go meet her mother at the market, she told investigators.
The officer then handcuffed her, and the two met her mother. Rosario then let Josten go without arresting her, said the report.
In an interview with police investigators, Rosario admitted that Josten exposed herself to him, but he said he did not know about the warrants until after she had left the flea market.
Investigators found he had violated police rules of attentiveness to duty, truthfulness and standards of conduct as well as failure to comply with policies for warrants and arrests.
News researcher John Martin contributed to this report.
[Last modified: Jun 17, 2008 08:46 AM]
Comments on this article
by joe tampa
Jun 16, 2008 9:57 AM
Another reminder that power corrupts.
by Watcher
Jun 16, 2008 9:57 AM
Steve- You are correct, sir. The CJSTC is housed in FDLE for admin support and FDLE provides some assistance, but the Commission is independent of FDLE. FDLE gets the blame for training requirements and disciplinary decisions.
by Pogo
Jun 16, 2008 9:57 AM
Will FDLE decide the fate of their recently deposed Tampa leaders? Nope. The #2 fellow was allowed to retire after doing much worse that this Tampa officer. Moses-where is the missing firearm? Jim- any info on that? LAnce- oh, never mind...
by Tom
Jun 16, 2008 9:57 AM
Steve is correct. By statute, FDLE is mandated to provide staff to the Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission, but the commission itself is a free standing body that has the authority over law enforcement certifications - not FDLE.
by Steve
Jun 14, 2008 10:25 PM
FDLE is not deciding the officer's fate; the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission is. The two organizations are not the same.
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