BUI Charge Dropped Against HCSO Deputy, But Internal Investigation Continues

Though the BUI charges against him are no longer pending, a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy may still find himself jobless due to an incident in Tampa Bay.

On July 1 a Sheriff’s Office marine patrol deputy spotted the pontoon boat piloted by Alexander Paul Craver near Apollo Beach and initiated a stop. The arrest report says that the deputy engaged the lights on his boat to let Craver know to pull over, but he allegedly did not stop at first. Per the deputy, Craver and a female passenger traded places while underway, and she ultimately slowed the boat for a stop.

According to the arresting officer, Craver smelled of alcoholic drink and had obvious difficulty with field sobriety tests. He says Craver stumbled while aboard his own boat and was unable to identify and produce mandatory flotation devices that were in plain sight. The officer said that there were several open containers of beer aboard the boat as well. As a result, Craver was taken into custody.

Upon arriving at the Sheriff’s Office marine station, deputies say Craver’s blood-alcohol content was tested twice via a breath test, returning results of 0.058% and 0.056%, which is below Florida’s statutorily-dictated limit of 0.08%. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on the evening of the same day, then released shortly after upon posting a $500 bond.

The State Attorney’s Office officially sought to drop BUI charges on July 17. However, as a sheriff’s deputy, the matter was not ended. He was placed on unpaid leave after his arrest and, per the Sheriff’s Office, Craver continues to be under investigation for the incident.

The Law Offices of Bjorn Brunvand have been representing people charged with capital murder, felony drug charges, drunk driving, government fraud, and white-collar crimes for over a quarter century. Contact our office today to discuss your Tampa Bay-area state or federal charges.