HCSO employee arrested for accessing other employees' emails without authorization: Officials
TAMPA, Fla. - An employee with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office was arrested after investigators said he was accessing other employees' emails without authorization.
What we know:
HCSO officials said Bruce Hartmann, 58, is an IT administrator for the sheriff's office. Authorities said they learned he was accessing multiple HCSO employees' emails for "non-work-related purposes."
Officials said the misconduct started back on October 9, 2024 and continued until he was arrested.
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Hartmann admitted during a recorded interview that he was accessing those emails without authorization, according to the sheriff's office. The employee was arrested on one count of accessing a computer or electronic device without authority.
Officials said Hartmann has been with the sheriff's office since September 2006. He was suspended without pay on Wednesday after his arrest.
The investigation remains ongoing, HCSO said.
What we don't know:
HCSO has not released details related to what kind of employee emails he was accessing.
What they're saying:
"HCSO takes any breach of trust and unauthorized access to sensitive information very seriously," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "This incident is a clear violation of our policies and the ethical standards we uphold. Our agency is committed to holding individuals accountable for their actions to maintain the integrity and trust of our organization."
The Source: The information in this story was released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
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