A Monroe County grand jury has indicted former Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi on an official misconduct charge as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations of drug theft in the Trauma Star air ambulance program and the county’s handling of the thefts.
A county grand jury has met several times in the past several weeks to question people and review evidence regarding the reported theft of Trauma Star pain medication and other drugs by former Chief Flight Nurse Lynda J. Rusinowski and how the county government has handled it.
The charge, announced Friday, Aug. 16, against Gastesi stems from alleged actions that took place between Aug. 11 and Nov. 17 in 2022, during which time Gastesi 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. The charge is classified as a third-degree felony under Florida Statute 838.022(1)(c). If convicted, Gastesi could face up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
Gastesi declined comment on Friday, saying “I will comment at the appropriate time.”
Gastesi has been volunteering with Monroe County since his retirement in February. Upon learning of the indictment Friday, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners terminated his volunteer position, according to county spokeswoman Kristent Livengood.
Since Gastesi’s retirement, Kevin Wilson has been the Acting County Administrator and will continue in the position. Wilson has been with the county for 18 years.
“County operations will continue as they have for the past six months. These are serious criminal charges, and we are taking these allegations very seriously,” said Wilson. “We will follow due process while we await formal court proceedings. Our first priority is to ensure that the County’s services continue for our residents and visitors without interruptions.”
The Board of County Commissioners has an add-on item to discuss the indictments at the next meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Judge Mark Wilson on Friday signed a warrant for Gastesi’s arrest and set bond at $25,000.
“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. “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.”
This latest indictment adds to a growing number of cases involving public officials in Monroe County, including last week’s indictments of Dr. Sandra L. Schwemmer and Monroe County Fire Rescue Division Chief Andrea Thompson. Both Schwemmer and Thompson were charged with multiple counts, including official misconduct, providing false information to law enforcement, tampering with physical evidence and altering patient records. These cases, alongside Gastesi’s indictment, signal an ongoing effort by the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office to address misconduct within local government and protect public trust.
On Aug. 9, State Attorney Dennis Ward announced grand jury indictments against Dr. Schwemmer and Thompson.
Dr. Schwemmer, the medical director of Monroe County Fire Rescue and Trauma Star program, has been charged with one count of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement and one count of altering patient records, Ward said.
Thompson faces a total of nine counts. These include two counts of official misconduct, one count of providing false information to law enforcement, two felony counts of destroying evidence, three counts felony counts of obstructing justice and two felony counts of fraud, Ward said.
The county has terminated its contract with Schwemmer’s company and suspended Thompson without pay. Deputy Chief R.L. Colina will directly oversee the division, effective immediately. The pre-determination hearing, which is used to review an employee’s status following an arrest or other disciplinary action, has not yet been set. Thompson’s total annual salary is $151,127.87, according to county officials.
Dr. Schwemmer’s attorney, Kader Scull, issued a statement on behalf Schwemmer, contending she has done nothing wrong.
“The allegations against Dr. Schwemmer are totally inconsistent with someone who has dedicated most of her career to improving life-saving medical services in Monroe County and throughout South Florida,” Scull wrote. “She has fully cooperated with investigating missing medications from the air rescue hangar and will continue to do so. She steadfastly maintains that she has not done any wrongdoing in this matter and looks forward to clearing her name in court. I would encourage people not to rush to judgment on these allegations and allow the justice system to run its course.”
Key West Fire Rescue Medical Director Dr. Antonio Gandia has agreed to step in and become Monroe County’s temporary medical director and will assist MCFR in any capacity needed, the county stated.
Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates has placed an item on Wednesday’s Board of County Commissioners agenda asking for an independent internal investigation of Trauma Star.
“We will do whatever it takes to bring the public trust to Monroe County government,” Cates told The Keys Citizen Friday.
Commissioner David Rice was out of town and unaware of the charge when contacted on Friday, while Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein said that "restoring our residents trust and faith in our county is my number one priority."
"MCFR and Trauma Star are critical for our residents and our State Attorney has been conducting an external investigation into the mishandling of narcotics within MCFR for some time," Raschein said. "We are all now learning of the results of those investigations and we are prepared to address those findings at our next commission meeting - in an open and transparent way where the public can participate. There is nothing more important as a public servant than earning and keeping the public’s trust, and I have no tolerance for this type of violation by employees of the county. As your mayor I am committed to working with my fellow commissioners on reforms that will help create more transparency moving forward and I am prepared to take strong and decisive action to ensure there is accountability for any wrongdoing that has occurred."
Commissioner Jim Scholl said he heard of the indictment on Friday but was not familiar with the facts of the case.
“This will be a point of discussion at the next county commission meeting,” Scholl told The Citizen on Friday.
Upon learning of Gastesi's indictment, Commissioner Michelle Lincoln said: "I welcome any investigation and/or audit to ensure that we are running our county as effectively and efficiently as possible, and to enforce that the correct policies and procedures are in place. The priority remains the same, to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all of our residents and tourists alike."
Gastesi retired from his position in late February, but he was scheduled to come back in September after a roughly eight month leave of absence. Gastesi has been in the Florida Retirement System’s Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) since 2019 and, in order to receive full compensation, he had to retire in February.
Gastesi, whose son works at the State Attorney’s Office, started as county administrator in May 2008 and has had a mostly scandal-free tenure with the county. He did come under scrutiny in 2012 after a former county employee was charged criminally for theft of county-owned iPhones and computer products.
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