Howey police chief quit unpunished after probe found on-duty sex with a suspect's wife
An internal investigation done for the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills by the Lake County Sheriff's Office found that Michael Giddens, while a lieutenant in 2025, twice had sex on duty at a Lady Lake hotel with the estranged wife of a man he was investigating for contractor fraud. The probe followed a November 2025 complaint to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Giddens had been sworn in as chief around October 2025. The town put him on leave May 4, 2026 and received FDLE's report May 29. He resigned June 3, before the review finished. Investigators concluded no crime was committed; the woman said the encounters were consensual. Because he resigned, the town will not penalize him. The findings were sent to FDLE's professional-compliance staff, who decide whether to act on his law-enforcement certification; no decision has been reported.
Giddens resigned on June 3. Because of that, he will not be penalized by Howey-in-the-Hills.
The investigation concluded that no crimes had been committed.
Said he resigned to safeguard the department's credibility and that his private life would not interfere with his duties.
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No outcome recorded yet.