21-073 Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Former Deputy For Making False Allegations

PINELLAS COUNTY – On more than one occasion over the past several weeks, a former Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy contacted the Florida Child Abuse Hot Line and made false allegations against Sheriff Gualtieri.

An arrest warrant was issued for 49-year-old Kenneth Kimberlin, charging him with the felony offense of making a false report to the Hot Line. Kimberlin was located in Tampa on June 23, 2021 and arrested on the warrant. He is currently booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and will be transferred to the Pinellas County Jail today.

After his arrest, detectives stated Kimberlin acknowledged there was no factual basis for the allegations made against Sheriff Gualtieri.

Kimberlin resigned from Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in 2011. Kimberlin was hired for a short time by Largo Police Department, but separated from employment. Since leaving law enforcement, Kimberlin has been arrested on multiple occasions and suffers from serious addiction and mental health issues.

The investigation revealed that Kimberlin has made threats against others in the Tampa Bay area, to include similar false allegations that he made against Sheriff Gualtieri. 

This continues to be an active investigation and additional charges are pending.