HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A veteran Hillsborough County Fire Rescue paramedic resigned one day after he was placed on administrative leave for alleged theft of narcotics.
According to an Aug. 4 letter obtained by 8 On Your Side, Michael J. Reyer was put on leave July 27 “for suspected theft of multiple narcotics which is being investigated by law enforcement.” Reyer submitted his letter of resignation on July 28, the letter stated.
The letter indicates Reyer would not be entitled to vacation leave payouts but said the county “makes no representations” about Reyer’s Florida Retirement System benefits.
There have been no arrests or charges involving Reyer and attempts to reach him for comment have yet to be successful.
Multiple county spokesmen would not comment on which department is investigating, what type of drugs are missing, how much is involved, or when the issue was first noticed.
Spokespeople for both the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they were unaware of a narcotics investigation involving the fire department.
Fire Chief Dennis Jones denied a request for an interview, but in a statement said the county, “will cooperate with law enforcement and will continue to take all actions necessary to ensure the safety of the residents of Hillsborough County.”
“As a practice, Hillsborough County does not comment on matters under investigation,” Jones said. “However, Hillsborough County fire rescue took immediate action at the first moment of concern.”
The county has yet to comment on a request for information about any existing policy for tracking and securing department narcotics.
According to Department of Health records, Reyer has been a registered paramedic since 2007 and a registered nurse since 2017.
The nursing license includes “an address of record” for a Tampa Bay area hospital but a spokesperson for that healthcare company has yet to respond yet to questions about whether Reyer works there.