Story Archive

Administratively Violated

“In this day and age,” said Bradenton, Fla., Police Chief Melanie Bevan, “I think it takes a little bit of courage to be willing to tell a police officer standing at the door, ‘No, we don’t want to let you talk to our daughter.’” And yet one woman’s parents turned away then Sgt. Leonel Marines after he’d followed their daughter exiting a parking lot, the chief said. The woman’s complaint triggered an internal investigation, and the chief said numerous “administrative violations,” including “sex on duty,” were discovered. Marines was suspended in 2012 for seeking dates through law enforcement databases, but he targeted at least another 150 women over the six years after that, the chief said. Also during those six years, Marines was promoted to sergeant. But now he’s quit — he would’ve been fired, Bevan said — and the FBI is investigating whether he committed a federal crime. (AC/Bradenton Herald, WFLA Tampa) ...And what kind of crime did the person who promoted him commit?