Joshua Roelofs was arrested in 2022 after investigators said he was driving an estimated 100 mph when he caused a deadly crash on the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

TAMPA, Fla. — A former Polk County deputy convicted in a 2022 crash that left two people dead on the Courtney Campbell Causeway received his prison sentence on Monday afternoon. 

A judge sentenced 37-year-old Joshua Roelofs to 32 and a half years in Florida state prison as well as five years probation, permanent driver’s license revocation, 100 hours of community service and a $2,500 fine.

The crash claimed the lives of Kris Koroly and Ricky Gongora and left William Camacho, the driver, and his girlfriend, Jessica Ruiz, with lifelong injuries. Their family members and friends took the stand Monday to speak about the impact of the losses. Roelofs also delivered a statement where he expressed “deep sorrow and regret” for his actions.


Roelofs speaks in court before sentencing

“There’s not a single day that passes that I don’t think about that tragic night. The night that took the lives of Ricky Gongora and Kris Koroly. The weight of that loss, the pain that their families carry and the part my actions played in it will never leave me. I struggle daily with deep sorrow and regret for the irreversible consequences of my lack of judgment. If I could go back and change it, I would without hesitation,” Roelofs said, in part.

“This tragedy has not only altered the lives of those closest to Kris, Ricky, Jessica and William, it has also profoundly impacted my own family. My wife, Brielle, and our three young daughters, Brooklyn, who will be four next month, Stella, who’s nine, and Scarlett, who’s four. They are my world.  Every moment that I’ve spent with them since this incident on April 13, 2022, has been shadowed by the thought of the pain that I’ve caused,” he continued.

Roelofs pleaded the importance of his role as a father, husband, son and grandson. 

“With my actions, my everlasting mistake, all of what was expected of me has been shattered by one poor decision of mine. I offer this statement not as an excuse, but as an expression of my sorrow, guilt, and remorse,” he said.

You can watch Joshua Roelofs’ full statement below.

Last month, a jury found Roelofs guilty of DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury, vehicular homicide and reckless driving.

Roelofs was arrested back in 2022 after investigators said he was driving an estimated 100 mph in his 2017 Nissan GT-R along the Courtney Campbell Causeway and crashed into a car with four people inside. All four passengers were ejected from the Kia Sorrento when it rolled over.

Two of the passengers died, and two others were injured. None of the passengers was wearing seatbelts, police said. Roelofs was uninjured and cooperated with investigators the night of the crash.

Roelofs reportedly didn’t appear in court for his charges, and in 2025, investigators determined that he had gone to Colombia. U.S. Marshals were able to contact Colombian authorities and pinpoint Roelofs’ location at a hotel in Antioquia. Authorities took him into custody without incident.

Colombian authorities escorted Roelofs on a flight to Miami International Airport at the time, where he was met by TPD’s fugitive apprehension unit. He was then taken into custody and transported to Orient Road Jail.

Roelofs worked for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office between 2010 and 2015 but was fired for falsifying his time card, according to an arrest affidavit.