Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested a St. Petersburg police officer this week after investigators uncovered evidence that he provided confidential information to a friend. The alleged recipient of the information happens to be Bryan Eckley, who is the man charged with having planted fireworks-based explosives at Hard Rock Tampa last year.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department media release, law enforcement arrested officer Brandon Klaiber for giving confidential information to Eckley.
Eckley was arrested after the discovery of “improvised explosive devices” forced the Hard Rock casino to be evacuated twice in 24 hours. Klaiber, who joined the department in 2008, now faces two 3rd-degree felony counts of “Offenses Against Intellectual Property.” He has since been suspended without pay.
The investigation began last year after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) notified the department of one of its officers’ “potential criminal violations.” Specifically, FDLE flagged Klaiber for potentially “sharing protected information from law enforcement databases with one of their suspects.”
Klaiber and Eckley were long-time friends
Police arrested and charged Eckley last October in connection with the Hard Rock Tampa bomb scare. During a news conference after Eckley’s arrest, Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said Eckley placed the devices in men’s restrooms—one near a gas line — in the late night/early morning of Sept. 20 and 30.
Investigators later discovered text messages between Eckley and Officer Klaiber, who, according to a WFLA report, had been friends for 15 years. In the messages, Officer Klaiber allegedly “provided information obtained from restricted databases to Eckley” at the latter’s request.
In a Tuesday press conference, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said the investigation revealed Klaiber obtained and passed on license plate and other information.
Holloway said the sharing of information was “an ongoing thing.”
When we looked at his information, it was determined that he was giving the suspect information from a confidential database.
He added that he was “very disappointed” at his officer for violating citizen’s trust.
On Dec. 3, the department placed Klaiber on unpaid administrative leave and suspended his credentials and computer access. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.
The department’s Office of Professional Standards will also launch an administrative investigation of the allegations. Eckley, who runs a roofing company, left a Hillsborough County jail on April 8 after posting $200,000 bail. His case is still pending.
In November, Eckley’s lawyer, Anthony Rickman, said its on the state to prove its allegations.
He’s a business owner. He’s a father. He’s a family man. At the end of the day, the state has to prove these charges, and we anticipate putting up a very good defense.
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