Editor’s note: Following news of the jury’s verdict, the Keys Weekly contacted multiple friends, family members and coworkers of Andrea Thompson, all of whom declined to comment on the case before sentencing.
On Sept. 30, following a six-day trial before Circuit Judge Mark Jones, a Monroe County jury found former Monroe County Fire Rescue EMS and Trauma Star Division Chief Andrea Arlene Thompson guilty on all 10 criminal charges presented to the jury. The jury deliberated for three hours before returning its verdicts.
Thompson was convicted of two counts of official misconduct, three counts of giving false information to law enforcement during an investigation, two counts of attempted tampering with physical evidence and three counts of tampering with a witness.
The case grew out of a 2022 investigation by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives into missing controlled substances from Monroe County’s Trauma Star air ambulance program. Thompson held a senior leadership position within Monroe County Fire Rescue and ultimately served as division chief overseeing EMS and Trauma Star.
As MCSO detectives worked to determine what happened to the missing controlled substances, Thompson’s own conduct became part of the investigation, including her actions involving investigators, evidence and witnesses.
The two official misconduct charges involved Thompson’s actions as a public servant and efforts to obstruct, delay or prevent the communication of information concerning the commission of a felony to law enforcement. She was also convicted of providing false information to law enforcement on three separate occasions in 2022 with the intent to mislead or impede the investigation.
The two attempted tampering with physical evidence charges involved efforts to alter, destroy, conceal or remove records, documents or other items to impair their integrity or availability during the criminal investigation. The three tampering with a witness charges involved efforts to influence or interfere with the communication of information to law enforcement.
The initial MCSO investigation coupled with the extensive Monroe County Clerk of Court’s Trauma Star audit led proceedings before the Monroe County grand jury, which indicted Thompson in August 2024. Major crimes assistant state attorney Colleen Dunne handled the case through the grand jury proceedings and prosecuted Thompson at trial.
Chief assistant state attorney Joseph Mansfield credited the MCSO detectives and witnesses whose work and cooperation helped bring the case to trial.
“This was a lengthy and difficult investigation. We thank the MCSO detectives, the Monroe County Clerk’s Office and all the witnesses who came forward,” Mansfield said. “We thank them for their persistence, and we especially thank them for their cooperation with our investigation and testifying in a very difficult situation. Their work and cooperation were essential to bringing this case before a jury.”
Mansfield also recognized Dunne and the State Attorney’s Office staff who worked on the prosecution.
“Major crimes assistant state attorney Colleen Dunne deserves special recognition for the years of work, preparation and persistence she brought to this case, from the investigation and grand jury proceedings through trial and the guilty verdicts,” Mansfield said. “I also want to thank our staff who spent countless hours preparing evidence, coordinating witnesses and supporting the prosecution, as well as the members of the grand jury and the trial jurors for their time and public service.”
Thompson is scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Mark Jones for sentencing on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.
