Featured Video: St. Petersburg police officer arrested in connection with Hard Rock Casino Planted explosives
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A police officer was found guilty on Tuesday of department violations in connection with an investigation into explosives found in a Tampa casino.
The investigation began in 2024 after The Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa was evacuated due to a “crude concealed device with fireworks components” found in the men’s bathroom.
Bryan Robert Eckley, 46, was arrested a month later in connection to the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement later notified the St. Petersburg Police Department that one of their officers was potentially sharing protected information.
As a result, Officer Brandon Klaiber was arrested in April 2025.
The police department placed Klaiber on administrative leave without pay upon his arrest, and he recently resigned on Monday.
The Command Review Board reviewed Klaiber’s case Tuesday, and he was found guilty of the following department violations:
City of St. Petersburg Rules and Regulations of the Personnel Management
System, Group III, #26, To wit:
“Unlawful or improper conduct either on or off the job, which an employee
knows or reasonably should know could negatively affect the employee’s relationship to the job, fellow workers, reputation, or goodwill in the community.”
City of St. Petersburg Rules and Regulations of the Personnel Management System Group III, #31, To Wit:
“Violation of a City or departmental rule which is considered within the Group
III level for overall seriousness, nature, and significance of the misconduct.”
Police said investigators discovered text messages between Klaiber and Eckley, in which Klaiber gave information from their restricted databases that Eckley requested.
Klaiber was accused of searching for license plates and other information on a secure database and then providing that information to Eckley.
Law enforcement said the two were friends for more than 15 years.
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