Last summer, a couple in Bradenton, Florida got a knock on their door. Police sergeant Leonel Marines wanted to speak with their adult daughter about a “domestic incident.” However, the parents thought something didn’t add up, and refused to let their daughter talk with him. They were so unnerved by the experience that they filed a formal complaint.
On Thursday, police chief Melanie Bevan detonated a bombshell. An internal investigation revealed that Marines had used a law enforcement database to glean information on women in hopes of scoring dates. He ultimately contacted at least 150 women using that information, and even had sex with some of them while on duty. Now Marines could potentially face federal charges.
“To get right to the root of the matter, Leonel Marines was not utilizing this data for law enforcement purposes whatsoever,” Bevan said. “Instead, he was using it in a variety of ways — from social media, cold telephone calls, visits to their home under the guise of being there for police business, you name it — trying to get dates with these women. He was very persistent and successful at times in his efforts to do so.”
Marines, a 12-year member of the Bradenton Police Department and a supervisor, was taken off patrol once the initial complaint was made last summer. In October, he resigned. The investigation continued, however, with five detectives eventually reaching 150 women Marines allegedly contacted inappropriately.
Bevan discussed these findings at a press conference on Thursday morning. Watch it here.
Bevan was trying awfully hard to contain her anger, and it’s hard to blame her. Marines had been using a database of driver and vehicle information to score hookups as early as 2012. He’d actually been busted for inappropriately using the database in 2011 and was suspended for three days, but apparently that didn't dissuade him.
It turns out that Marines was busted for going to the well once too often. He had seen a woman in a parking lot earlier in the day and followed her home. When called on the carpet for this by the watch commander, Marines claimed that he’d seen her driving with a burned-out headlight and believed she was driving while impaired.
The story didn’t add up, and when Bevan heard about it, her spidey senses went off. She ordered an audit of Marines’ use of the database, and noticed a disproportionate number of searches for female names, particularly Latina women who didn’t speak English. Bevan was being kind when she described Marines’ actions as a “dark shadow on our law enforcement profession.”
Marines was initially placed on desk duty. However, when the extent of his debauchery became clear, he was suspended without pay. When it became apparent that he faced almost certain termination, he resigned.
Marines has not only lost his job, but has also lost his marriage. His wife told the New York Post that she is in the process of divorcing him, and says the news took her completely by surprise.
He may also lose his freedom—and should. The internal affairs probe may be over, but the FBI has launched a criminal investigation. According to the Bradenton Herald, one possible charge Marines could face is violation of rights under color of law. Anyone better versed than me can mention other potential charges. Frankly, I hope they do find a way to lock this guy up, if it is legally possible to do so. The FBI wants anyone who knows anything about Marines’ actions or who has had contact with him to contact their Tampa office at 813-253-1000.