A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy has resigned and been arrested after an internal audit revealed he allegedly used automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology and multiple law enforcement databases to obtain personal information about his estranged wife and several other individuals.
During a press conference Thursday, November 5, 2026, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced that Deputy Ronald Scott improperly accessed the Flock license plate reader system and other confidential databases more than 100 times between February and June 2026.
According to Gualtieri, Scott used the databases to obtain information about his estranged wife, her boyfriend, the boyfriend’s wife, and his estranged wife’s father. At the time, the two couples were separated and in the process of obtaining divorces.
Investigators determined that Scott began making unauthorized searches on February 14, 2026, Valentine’s Day. While off duty at his home, Scott allegedly used his agency-issued computer to search for his estranged wife’s license plate in the Flock ALPR database.
Over the following months, Scott allegedly expanded his searches to include vehicles associated with the other individuals. Gualtieri said Scott conducted unauthorized license plate searches on 40 separate days between February and June, with many occurring while he was off duty.
In addition to the Flock system, Scott allegedly accessed the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC), and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID).
According to the sheriff, Scott entered false justifications when accessing these systems, claiming the searches were related to criminal investigations, traffic violations, or identity verification connected to official law enforcement activities.
Gualtieri said none of those explanations were legitimate. Instead, Scott allegedly used the databases to determine where his estranged wife and her boyfriend had traveled, identify their vehicles, and obtain other private information.
The investigation resulted from enhanced auditing procedures the Sheriff’s Office implemented over the past month. Gualtieri explained that Flock recently upgraded its software to identify suspicious search patterns, including repeated searches for the same license plate by a single user over an extended period.
Using those enhanced capabilities, the Sheriff’s Office began reviewing Flock database activity dating back to 2022, when the agency first implemented the system. That review identified Scott’s alleged misconduct.
Scott resigned from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, November 4, and was arrested Thursday morning. Gualtieri said Scott faces four felony charges, although the specific charges were not identified in the portion of the press conference provided.
The arrest marks the third case involving alleged misuse of law enforcement databases that Gualtieri discussed this year.
During the press conference, the sheriff referenced two previous cases involving deputies who allegedly used the technology for improper personal purposes. One involved a deputy accused of stalking a 17-year-old girl. Another involved a deputy who allegedly used law enforcement databases to obtain information about a woman approximately 30 years younger than him whom he had previously arrested and was attempting to develop a relationship with.
Gualtieri emphasized that the latest case involved different personal circumstances but remained a serious violation of the law.
“This one is a little different than the other two,” Gualtieri said, noting that Scott’s alleged conduct began on Valentine’s Day while he was separated from his wife.
The sheriff said the agency will continue enhanced auditing procedures, including monthly random audits of its three automated license plate reader systems operated by Flock, Axon, and Motorola.
Gualtieri also defended the technology itself, emphasizing that the underlying issue involves employees abusing access to confidential information rather than problems inherent to license plate reader systems.
“This is a people problem and not a ‘Flock problem’ or an ALPR problem,” Gualtieri said.
He noted that improper access to government databases has been an ongoing issue in law enforcement for years, including systems containing driver’s license information, criminal histories, and child welfare records.
The sheriff said his agency will continue monitoring database activity and pursuing disciplinary and criminal action whenever misuse is discovered.
Scott’s booking photo is not available at this time.
One of those previous cases involved former Deputy Karl Gwynne, who was arrested on September 30, 2026, after investigators determined he had allegedly searched a woman’s information 381 times across five law enforcement databases between January 2025 and July 2026. Gwynne was accused of accessing the records for personal reasons after developing a romantic interest in a woman he had previously arrested.
Gwynne was initially arrested on four counts of accessing a computer or electronic device without authorization and one count of official misconduct. However, on October 30, 2026, the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office filed a Notice of No Information (NFI), declining to formally prosecute the case.
According to the filing, the State Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation that included taking testimony under oath before determining that existing Florida statutes did not address the alleged misconduct.
“The State Attorney, having taken testimony under oath at a State Attorney investigation, concludes we are filing a no information in this matter as the current Florida Statutory provisions do not address the wrongful conduct reported,” the filing stated.
Prosecutors also said the office intends to seek legislative changes during the next session to address the gap in Florida law.
The decision is particularly relevant to Scott’s arrest, which involves similar allegations of unauthorized access to law enforcement databases for personal purposes. It remains unclear whether the statutory issues identified in Gwynne’s case could affect Scott’s prosecution.
Gualtieri has repeatedly emphasized that misuse of confidential law enforcement databases is unacceptable, regardless of whether existing technology can detect the violations.
