TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is calling for Sheriff Chad Chronister’s resignation.

On top of that, a community activist is demanding an independent FDLE investigation into the agency. It comes as top officials face academic cheating allegations amid internal affairs investigations.

A former HCSO detective and a community activist separately wrote letters to state leaders calling for independent investigations.

“This circumstances of late have opened this, this door for us to actually show the public that we’ve been talking about for several years,” said James Stahlschmidt, former HCSO detective.

Stahlschmidt is a former HCSO detective who served from 1999 until his resignation in 2018. In this letter, signed by Stahlschmidt and sent to the Governor’s office, he’s demanding “the removal or resignation of Sheriff Chad Chronister.”

“Sheriff Chronister and his command staff have been consistently mired in controversy, with multiple members under investigation or previously disciplined,” he claimed.

“I left on my own while I was pretty much fed up with how I saw some cases handled,” Stahlschmidt told 8 On Your Side.

In a statement to 8 On Your Side, Chronister wrote, “”I am aware of the letter submitted to the Governor by former Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office employee James Stahlschmidt, who served from September 1999 until his resignation in June 2018. While he did not provide a reason for his resignation, I can tell you his Internal Affairs file contains multiple investigations for allegations of untruthfulness, violations of general proficiency, and abuse of the sheriff’s office’s equipment/vehicles.”           

8 On Your Side has told you Chief Deputy Anthony Collins resigned in July. Collins admitted to hiring a man named Robert Roush to complete coursework.

“[Collins] paid somebody to do his coursework at the prestigious FBI national Academy,” said Sheriff Chronister in a September interview.

Since then, the sheriff’s office said, Captain Lora Rivera put in her resignation on Thursday amid allegations she had paid Roush to write her captain’s project for her.

“They’re able to resign or retire at full retirement and walking away,” Stahlschmidt said. “So, that in whole you have to question who’s in charge, but who’s investigating the investigators?”

HCSO said Col. Michael Hannaford is now under investigation for also hiring Roush to write a report relating to a project, and so is Col. Chris Rule for hiring Roush to write a research paper for a class with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Stahlschmidt seems to believe there are even more, but the sheriff disputes those claims.

“Normally, I would not attempt to dignify such outlandish allegations coming from a struggling former employee whose career was fraught with complaints and internal affairs investigations, and whose timing seems suspicious,” Chronister wrote. “Despite sensational claims in his correspondence, this office remains committed to a complete, thorough, fair, and transparent investigation into any misconduct allegations.”

“I think that, the State Attorney General’s Office should take over this, this entire investigation and apply criminal charges where they should be applied for fraud,” Stahlschmidt said.

Chronister continues to write: “At this time, three employees are the subject of an internal affairs investigation as it relates to Mr. Robert Roush. The employees are Colonel Christopher Rule, Colonel Michael Hannaford, and Captain Zuleydis Stearns. As with any internal inquiry, we will follow established procedures to ensure the facts are gathered objectively and any appropriate actions are taken based on evidence, not speculation.”

Investigative Reporter Brittany Muller asked, “Some may say you’re a disgruntled former Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office employee. What would be your response?”

“Absolutely, I am,” Stahlschmidt said.

“I am disappointed and frankly embarrassed to even respond to an email that reads more like the rantings of a disgruntled former employee than a credible complaint,” Chronister wrote. “I remain committed to accountability and transparency, which includes investigating employee misconduct. The integrity of this entire organization depends on confronting issues directly, uncovering truth, and taking appropriate action.”

Stahlschmidt is not the only one. Community activist Anthony Gillbert wrote a separate letter to Lt. Governor Jay Collins, demanding an independent FDLE investigation as well as transparent and criminal accountability.

In Gillbert’s letter, he wrote: “This is not just misconduct — this is fraud. It represents a deliberate effort to mislead the public about the qualifications of those leading one of the most powerful agencies in our county. The community is deeply troubled that individuals who swore to uphold integrity and accountability may have built their careers on deception, funded by taxpayer dollars.”

The letter continued to read: “I am asking that you publicly and formally call on Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to launch an independent investigation into: the misuse of taxpayer funds to pay for these fraudulent educational programs, the pay raises and promotions obtained under false pretenses, and the systemic failures that allowed this culture of deceit to persist.”

“How far does this go?” questioned Gillbert. “How untrustworthy are they? So, if they’re if they’re having this misconduct from the top levels, from colonels to captains, what does it say about the street level? We just want to make sure that everybody is held accountable.”

At this time we don’t know if any outside agency has stepped in to investigate. 8 On Your Side reached out to the  Florida Attorney General’s Office, the Hillsborough County’s State Attorney’s Office, FDLE and the FBI.

It’s important to note, these are agencies and offices that typically don’t reveal if there is an ongoing and active investigation.