KEY WEST, Fla. – Former Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi became the latest official in the Florida Keys to face a criminal charge as prosecutors announced his indictment on a felony charge by a grand jury.
Friday’s announcement comes in the wake of multiple arrests in a wide-ranging narcotics theft scandal connected to the Monroe County Fire Rescue Trauma Star air ambulance program.
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Prosecutors announced the indictments of MCFR’s former medical director, Dr. Sandra Schwemmer, 72, and a high-ranking EMS officer, 45-year-old Division Chief Andrea Thompson, last Friday. Lynda Rusinowski, 58, Trauma Star’s former chief flight nurse, had previously been among those arrested.
Gastesi, 63, retired as county administrator in February after serving in the county’s top unelected position for nearly a decade, according to Keys Weekly. He had been expected to return to the post.
The former top official is facing a charge of official misconduct, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, prosecutors said.
Charging documents obtained by Local 10 News don’t outline the specific allegations that led to his indictment.
In a news release, the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office said Gastesi, of Islamorada, “is accused of knowingly and intentionally obstructing, delaying, or preventing the communication of information relating to the commission of a felony that directly affected the government entity he served” between Aug. 11 and Nov. 17, 2022.
“This case, like the recent indictments of Dr. Schwemmer and Andrea Thompson, demonstrates our office’s unwavering commitment to holding public servants accountable for their actions,” State Attorney Dennis Ward said in a statement. “Mr. Gastesi’s alleged actions reflect a pattern of misconduct that affects our community’s trust in government, and we are fully committed to ensuring justice is served.”
The news release states that prosecutors “will continue to work closely with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute cases where public servants violate the law.”
“These ongoing legal actions highlight the importance of maintaining integrity and accountability within local government,” it states.
A judge set Gastesi’s bond at $25,000. He appeared in online jail records Friday afternoon.
In unrelated cases, two other people in the Keys have been arrested in recent weeks on various charges related to their employment or connections with public entities.
On July 31, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jennifer Ketcham, 40, was jailed on 19 felony charges after authorities said she illegally used official law enforcement databases to send her 19-year-old “drug dealer” boyfriend information about law enforcement raids, officers and confidential informants.
On Aug. 6, Ward’s office announced the arrest of Andy Newman, 68, who was contracted to do public relations work by the taxpayer-funded Monroe County Tourist Development Council. He’s accused of making false statements regarding TDC payments to a non-existent company.