A St. Petersburg police officer who had worn the badge since 2008 is now facing felony charges after investigators say he crossed one of law enforcement’s clearest lines: using restricted police databases for someone outside official police business.

Officer Brandon Klaiber was arrested April 15, 2025, by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant issued by his own department. St. Petersburg police say the case began after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement alerted them in late 2024 to possible criminal violations involving Klaiber and Bryan Eckley, a man later accused of placing explosive devices inside the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.

According to St. Petersburg police, investigators found text messages showing Klaiber provided Eckley with information obtained from restricted law enforcement databases. FOX 13 reported that the information included vehicle tag numbers and driver’s license information for people Eckley requested.

Eckley was arrested in October 2024 after authorities said two remote-controlled explosive devices were found in men’s bathrooms at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The casino was evacuated twice, and bomb squad personnel rendered both devices safe. No injuries were reported.

Police have not said Klaiber knew about Eckley’s alleged plans at the casino. Chief Anthony Holloway said investigators were still trying to determine whether Eckley used any of the information Klaiber allegedly provided in connection with the Hard Rock case. Holloway also said Klaiber and Eckley had known each other for more than 15 years.

Klaiber was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 2, 2024, and his credentials and computer access were suspended while the investigation continued. He is charged with two counts of “Offenses Against Intellectual Property,” a third-degree felony.

For residents, the story lands uncomfortably close to home because police databases contain some of the most sensitive information citizens trust the government to protect. Florida law limits officers’ access to that data to official law enforcement purposes only. Sharing it with an unauthorized person can carry criminal consequences.

Holloway framed the case as a breach of public trust, saying residents give law enforcement access to private information with the expectation that it will be used properly — to protect the community, not to help a friend.

Klaiber remains on administrative leave without pay. The criminal investigation is ongoing, and the St. Petersburg Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards is also expected to conduct an internal administrative investigation.