Two Former Indian River County Deputies Charged in Flock License Plate Camera Misuse Investigation

Two former Indian River County sheriff's deputies were arrested Monday, Nov. 2, on felony charges accusing them of misusing Flock Safety license plate reader cameras and other law enforcement databases to run hundreds of searches, including searches tied to women they knew, Sheriff Eric Flowers said at a news conference in Vero Beach.

Former Sgt. John Finnegan, 41, an 18-year veteran of the agency, is charged with felony unauthorized computer use. Former Deputy Samuel Earman, 34, a 10-year veteran who was fired last year after an earlier stalking arrest, faces four counts of offenses against computer users. Both men are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

The arrests are among the most serious consequences yet in Florida from a statewide reckoning over automated license plate readers, which local police agencies have spread across highways and neighborhoods to track stolen cars and wanted suspects.

The accusations against the former sergeant

Flowers told reporters that Finnegan searched the same license plate more than 900 times, according to TCPalm, the Treasure Coast newspaper whose reporting with USA TODAY first flagged his searches. In an Aug. 27 inquiry, a TCPalm reporter asked the agency about 574 searches Finnegan ran on two plates between March and October 2025. The reasons he logged for those searches included "SUS" and "DAYTIME SEARCH FOR BEST RESULT," the newspaper reported.

The sheriff's office placed Finnegan on administrative leave and opened an investigation within days of that inquiry. Flowers said Finnegan admitted the misuse right away and cooperated with investigators. Describing what was behind the searches, the sheriff referred to "a complex relationship dynamic" in Finnegan's life, TCPalm reported.

Finnegan was released from the Indian River County Jail after posting a $10,000 bond, according to TCPalm. He is no longer with the agency; reports differ on whether he resigned shortly before his arrest or was fired.

Personnel records show Finnegan rose from deputy to detective to sergeant during his career and was suspended for two days in August 2025 for insubordination, neglect of duty and abuse of rest periods, the newspaper reported. He also appeared on the reality television show "On Patrol" in 2024.

The accusations against the former deputy

Earman is accused of searching the license plates of three women about 200 times between January 2024 and October 2025, Flowers said. Investigators say he also misused two state systems: the Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID, which holds driver license and vehicle records, and the Florida Crime Information Center, the state's criminal justice records network. He logged reasons such as "test," "well" and "training," according to TCPalm.

The new charges come almost a year after Earman's first arrest. In November 2025, the sheriff's office fired him after he was arrested on stalking charges and accused of misusing agency computers. At that time, Flowers said Earman had used an agency database to find where a woman lived and drove around her home while on duty and outside his assigned patrol zone. Earman was held then on a $30,000 bond, WPTV reported, and Flowers said investigators had already identified other possible victims. The sheriff said then that Earman had "tarnished the badge."

Earman is the son of Joe Earman, a former Indian River County commissioner and longtime Fire Rescue veteran. According to TCPalm, the agency's audit of all Flock use, begun in October 2025, is what uncovered the license plate searches that led to the newest charges.

How the searches came to light

Flock cameras photograph passing vehicles and log their plates, times and locations, creating a searchable record that officers can query. Agencies that use the system can review audit logs showing who ran each search and the reason they entered.

The Indian River cases grew out of a TCPalm and USA TODAY investigation published Aug. 27 that analyzed more than 75 million Flock searches over about three and a half years from more than 6,300 agencies nationwide. Reporters looked for patterns such as repeated searches of a single plate and asked agencies to explain them. Since that investigation, 33 law enforcement officers and officials have been arrested, fired or placed on leave pending investigation, TCPalm reported.

The fallout has reached agencies across the state. In Pinellas County, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced the Sept. 30 arrests of two deputies accused of misusing computer systems, including plate readers, after the newspaper asked about unusual searches. A Sarasota police officer was fired and charged after he was accused of tracking an ex-girlfriend's car at least 335 times over two months, and a former Fort Pierce officer was charged with using Flock cameras to stalk an ex-girlfriend, according to TCPalm. A Vero Beach police officer was placed on leave over searches of a vehicle tied to his household.

State pushback on plate readers

The misuse reports have also drawn a response from Tallahassee. On Aug. 31, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered local agencies to remove license plate reader cameras from state highway rights of way, citing privacy concerns and reports of misuse, TCPalm reported. Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Aug. 27 that the situation was "out of control."

Flowers has remained a supporter of the technology. At Monday's news conference he said he wants to keep using Flock, that people who misuse it will be held accountable, and that he is looking for a way to keep cameras operating despite the state's removal order, according to TCPalm. The sheriff said the agency is continuing to review earlier years of system use.

What's next

The cases now go to the State Attorney's Office for the 19th Judicial Circuit, which covers Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties and will decide what formal charges to file. Under Florida's computer crimes law, accessing a computer system or network without authorization is generally a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison for each count.

Earman's earlier stalking and computer misuse case from 2025 is separate from the new charges. The sheriff's office has said its review of past plate reader searches is ongoing, and additional findings could follow.