HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office employee has been arrested and charged with accessing the emails of other employees without authorization. Bruce Hartmann, 58, an IT Systems Administrator, allegedly accessed multiple employees’ emails for non-work-related purposes.
The alleged misconduct occurred between October 9, 2024, and January 22, 2025. The Sheriff’s Office Information Services Division (ISD) discovered Hartmann’s unauthorized activities and launched an investigation.
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During a recorded interview, Hartmann admitted to accessing the emails without authorization, violating the agency’s policies that strictly limit email access to legitimate work purposes.
“HCSO takes any breach of trust and unauthorized access to sensitive information very seriously,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “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.”
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Hartmann has been charged with one count of “Access Computer or Electronic Device without Authority.” The Sheriff’s Office hired him on September 6, 2006, and has been suspended without pay as of January 22, 2025.
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