Prosecutors Refile Charge Against Former Pinellas Deputy
Karl Gwynne now faces one official misconduct count over alleged misuse of automated license plate reader systems.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Should Florida lawmakers write new laws specifically covering police misuse of license plate readers?
The State Attorney's Office dropped its original charges against former Pinellas County deputy Karl Gwynne and is now charging him with one count of official misconduct, a third-degree felony. Gwynne is accused of using automated license plate readers to run 381 searches on a single license plate.
Why it matters
The filing states Florida law does not address the conduct, a gap that could leave similar misuse of license plate reader systems outside the reach of criminal statute. The case is part of a wider run of arrests of law enforcement officers in the Tampa Bay area for misusing department technology.
Gwynne now faces one third-degree felony count of official misconduct after the State Attorney's Office filed a "No Information" filing that dropped his earlier charges. Each of the five former deputies and officers has an open case and an upcoming court date.
The players
Karl Gwynne
Former Pinellas County deputy facing a revised official misconduct charge over alleged misuse of automated license plate reader systems.
Bob Gualtieri
Pinellas County Sheriff who leads the agency whose deputies were among those arrested after license plate reader audits.
The details
The State Attorney's Office filed a "No Information" filing stating Florida law does not address the conduct at issue. Audits of automated license plate reader systems increased before three Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputies and five officers from various Tampa Bay Area agencies were arrested for misusing department technology.
Timeline
The Legislature is expected to correct the statute in its next session.
Each of the five former officers has an upcoming court date in an open case.
Legal Context
The Florida statutes on official misconduct and unauthorized device access do not cover the conduct at issue, according to the State Attorney's Office filing. The case shows how existing criminal law can lag behind surveillance technology that law enforcement agencies now use routinely.
Florida residents whose license plates are scanned by law enforcement systems may be affected by how the Legislature closes the current statutory gap. The outcome will determine whether officers can face criminal liability for running unauthorized plate searches.
The takeaway
Oversight of police surveillance tools depends on statutes that clearly define misuse, and the Florida case shows what happens when those definitions are missing. Readers interested in how such rules change should track the next legislative session.
What happens next
The Legislature is expected to correct the statute addressing automated license plate reader misuse in its next session.
Further reading
For more on how police agencies handle officer misconduct, see Law Enforcement coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WFLA.
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Should Florida lawmakers write new laws specifically covering police misuse of license plate readers?
