Pembroke Pines commissioner won't face criminal charges for impersonating officer
Key Points(5)
- Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Jay D.
- Schwartz will not face criminal charges for impersonating a law enforcement officer, stemming from an incident at Charles W.
- Flanagan High School on May 21, where he questioned students about marijuana and their employment.
- Authorities determined that while his actions amounted to a “technical violation” of Florida law, there was insufficient evidence for criminal prosecution.
- The case was referred to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office Public Corruption Unit on July 16 after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) concluded its review.
Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz will not face criminal charges for impersonating a law enforcement officer, stemming from an incident at Charles W. Flanagan High School on May 21, where he questioned students about marijuana and their employment.
Authorities determined that while his actions amounted to a “technical violation” of Florida law, there was insufficient evidence for criminal prosecution.
The case was referred to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office Public Corruption Unit on July 16 after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) concluded its review. The investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by the Pembroke Pines Police Department alleging that Schwartz impersonated a law enforcement officer while questioning students about marijuana and asking about their places of work.
During the incident, Schwartz reportedly pulled a badge from his wallet and confronted several students. He was later identified as an adjunct instructor from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, teaching dual enrollment aviation courses at Flanagan High School.
Sworn statements indicated that the confrontation lasted between three and five minutes, and the principal, Brad Fatout, said Schwartz admitted there was no reasonable suspicion to question the students. A campus monitor confirmed observing the interaction, noting that Schwartz displayed the badge and made comments during the encounter.
The State Attorney’s close-out memo concluded that while Schwartz’s conduct technically violated Florida law and reflected “poor judgment,” he did not act with the specific intent necessary for criminal culpability. The badge identified him as a city commissioner, and he never explicitly claimed to be law enforcement. The memo stated there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
One student reported that Schwartz repeatedly asked about marijuana, writing in a signed statement that the commissioner “kept asking me over and over where’s the weed” and “presented himself as if he were an officer.”
A spokesperson for Broward County Public Schools confirmed that a different instructor is now teaching the program at Flanagan High School.
While authorities deemed Schwartz’s conduct inappropriate and improper, it falls short of criminal action.
