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Detective Fredrick Lise of the Clearwater Police Department was arrested August 6, “on numerous public corruption charges.” He allegedly has friends in low places. Miami Vice types who professionally move narcotics in quantity. Having someone on the inside is worth big bucks to narcotraffickers.
Dirty detective in custody
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri wasn’t happy to announce the news that detective Fredrick Lise is on the take. He acted squeaky clean enough to hold the office of Clearwater police union president.
He’ll soon be impeached because he’s been charged with misuse of public office, unlawful disclosure of criminal information, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. “Despite me being really pissed off over this, I’m in a position where I’m going to have to follow state statute,” Clearwater police Chief Eric Gandy fumes. He’ll “conduct this administrative investigation carefully and methodically.”
As Sheriff Gualtieri told the press on Tuesday, the dirty detective “decided to cross the line from being a law enforcement officer to being a criminal.”
Clearwater police detective Fredrick Lise has been charged with eight felonies related to helping alleged drug traffickers, who were his friends, evade a criminal investigation, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Tuesday. https://t.co/tQczIJocJB
— Tracey McManus (@TroMcManus) August 6, 2024
It’s not worth the money. “In doing so, he dangerously endangered the lives of real law enforcement officers trying to rid our community of deadly drugs.” Lise is currently under administrative leave “and has no access to police facilities.”
Until he got busted, Detective Lise worked in the Clearwater PD narcotics unit. When the Sheriff’s Office rounded up 13 suspects in July, after a year-long drug trafficking operation, things in the paperwork started looking inconsistent with what they expected.
They had the drug ring pretty well figured out after months of regular undercover purchases. Two of the main players, Matthew Turner and Henry Smith, were suddenly being treated as helpful informants.
Access to PCSO information
The sheriff isn’t going into details of the relationship between Lise and the dealers but it’s clear to them that the detective tipped Smith and Turner off. Starting in August of 2023, deputies followed the crew all over Pinellas County.
They quickly identified Turner and Smith as “two of the primary participants.” As far as they can reconstruct, the organization “obtained and distributed about 220 kilograms of cocaine, 660 pounds of methamphetamine, 25 kilograms of fentanyl, 5.5 kilograms of black tar heroin, and 14 kilograms of MDMA.”
In March, Lise “was told about the drug trafficking investigation.” The rat “allegedly used his access to PCSO information to tip off Turner and Smith that they were under investigation.” It’s not clear how he did that but Smith sent a text message in reply.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy Hold Press Conference to Discuss the Arrest of a Clearwater Police Officer.
To view the press release, visit: https://t.co/NNnl4uEElW pic.twitter.com/asqm4BGhWh
— Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (@SheriffPinellas) August 6, 2024
“See if you can find out if you can. You got me worried.” He had good reason to be worried. Lise sealed his fate by responding, “I hit up one of my boys. I told you it’s either someone is talking or you slipped up with an unknown.” The “boy” in question “is a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office detective.”
For damage control, “Turner and Smith planned to set another drug dealer up by purchasing a large amount of narcotics.” They planned to “coordinate” with Detective Lise “to appear like they were informants to get time off.”
That, Sheriff Gualtieri adds, “is reprehensible to say the least. His friendship to these drug traffickers was more important than upholding his oath of office.“
