A Florida state employee was terminated for allegedly cashing in a $20,000 lottery ticket belonging to another employee—this comes three years after his wife resigned as police chief amidst accusations of using her authority to help her husband avoid a traffic stop.
Tampa Law Enforcement Director Keith O’Connor was fired on Tuesday following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which suggested he collaborated with employee Aubrey Pierce. Reports indicate that O’Connor may have cashed the ticket for Pierce, a code enforcement officer, who is behind on child support payments and would have faced wage garnishment if he had attempted to cash it himself.
The inquiry into the lottery ticket began after authorities uncovered text messages and call records between the two while investigating Pierce for allegedly accepting bribes to allow illegal dumping on city-owned land.
Pierce, who started working for the city in February 2023, was arrested in August and charged with several serious offenses, including bribery, illegal hazardous waste disposal, grand larceny, and violating the Florida Garbage Act, as per court documents.
He has pleaded not guilty to both bribery and littering allegations.
O’Connor was placed on paid administrative leave when the investigation kicked off in September.
According to reports, the findings related to the lottery ticket were forwarded to prosecutors, but O’Connor hasn’t been indicted due to insufficient evidence for a successful prosecution.
Despite the lack of criminal charges, O’Connor was still let go by his superiors.
“Our organization is built on professionalism, accountability, and integrity,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “The communities we serve expect and deserve the highest standards from all city employees, especially those in leadership positions.”
Pierce is still employed by the city but is currently suspended, pending a disciplinary hearing.
Interestingly, he had a history of legal issues before joining the city, including prior charges of grand larceny and robbery. Reports mention that in 2013, he requested a judge to release him from custody to pursue government employment, thanking O’Connor for his help.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that O’Connor’s wife, former Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor, resigned after she attempted to use her position to get her husband’s ticket for driving an unregistered golf cart dismissed.
Body camera footage from the incident shows her displaying her badge and asking deputies to let her go without penalties.
Mary O’Connor served as chief for only ten months before resigning, claiming she didn’t want her personal mistakes to hinder her efforts to improve community-police relationships.
