Monroe County leaders continue to address a scathing grand jury report stemming from a July 2022 drug theft scandal, which recently led to the indictments of a top administrator, a fire rescue division chief, a former flight nurse and a former medical director.
During a Sept. 11 meeting in Key Largo, County Attorney Bob Shillinger guided county commissioners through a series of 14 recommendations offered by the 15-member jury to address issues from the reported loss of 600-plus vials of drugs and controlled substances from Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR). The matter came to light following a 2023 audit by the county clerk’s office on MCFR’s controlled substances protocols, which detailed glaring breakdowns in oversight that allegedly enabled a chief flight nurse with Trauma Star, Lynda Rusinowski, to steal fentanyl, Dilaudid and other narcotics. MCFR oversees the daily operations of Trauma Star and its substance protocols.
Three of the 14 recommendations from the grand jury zeroed in on three county officials: Roman Gastesi, former county administrator; Fire Chief James Callahan; and Andrea Thompson, division chief for Trauma Star and MCFR.
The grand jury recommended the county not only “immediately terminate” Thompson from fire rescue, but also not allow her to return or hold any position with MCFR. She was suspended without pay after the grand jury indicted her last month on nine counts, including official misconduct, providing false information to law enforcement, tampering with physical evidence and tampering with witnesses. Thompson is scheduled to have a pre-determination hearing on Friday, Sept. 20.
Shillinger said the first pre-determination hearing delves into the employee’s status of the charges and whether the person could come back while they are pending. A second pre-determination hearing is held once those charges are resolved.
“We don’t want to place the employee in an untenable position of having to choose between fighting for their job and fighting for their freedom in the criminal courts. That’s why we go through the bifurcated process,” Shillinger said.
Bryan Cook, county human resources director, told commissioners the pre-determination hearing allows the employee to state their case as to what happened.
“We have a process and policies to allow employees to present a case about their side of whatever the discipline is. We sometimes upon arrest of an employee will conduct two hearings, one upon arrest and one upon disposition of case,” he said.
In the viewing gallery, a number of Thompson supporters wearing white shirts listened as the county discussed the recommendations. Their shirts read “I Stand With Andrea Thompson.” Thompson was also in attendance.
Thompson’s attorney, Kendall Coffey, told county commissioners that he hopes the pre-determination hearing will be fair and balanced.
“We all know the grand jury processes are not fair and balanced,” he said. “They’re recognized by courts as an instrumentality of investigation for prosecution. It’s just all one-sided.
“Many people don’t recognize that and know that and think there’s something fair and impartial about the grand jury,” he continued. “There are other processes, ultimately including a jury trial, which are conceived to hear both sides and bring out the truth.”
Coffey concluded by stating that he looks forward to clearing Thompson’s name.
Gary Boswell, retired MCFR deputy chief of administration, said he’s known Thompson since she was a young volunteer, progressing to firefighter, paramedic, flight medic and division chief. He said he believes the indictment is “unjust and misguided.”
“In my 40-plus years of public service, I would be hard-pressed to think of anyone who’s worked harder and has been more dedicated to the community she serves and to the men and women who work with her and before her,” Boswell said.
As for Callahan, the grand jury recommended he resign by the end of the year to allow for the appointment of a new chief to oversee operations. Shillinger said discussions continue with no determination made.
Monroe County has since parted ways with Gastesi, who was serving as a volunteer at the time. He was slated to come back as county administrator following a brief retirement, until he was indicted for official misconduct in connection to the drug theft scandal. With Gastesi departing in late February, county commissioners named Kevin Wilson as acting county administrator.
County commissioners approved a contract on Sept. 11 with Christine Hurley as county administrator. She was assistant county administrator in 2015 before leaving to become executive director of the county land authority in 2021. Sept. 12 was her first day on the job. Wilson will return to his role as assistant county administrator.
“I just want to tell the community that we will continue in this direction to make sure all these issues are addressed legally and do, in my opinion, the most we can do to protect and show the transparency of this fire department, which we have many, many very good employees and firefighters,” commissioner Craig Cates said.
