Palm Bay Police Face New Scrutiny Over Wrongful Arrest Lawsuit
PALM BAY, Fla. — Amid growing concerns over police conduct, Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) is facing another lawsuit, this time from a Georgia woman who says she was wrongly arrested, jailed for days, and extradited to Florida—all because of a stolen driver’s license used by someone else.
Karen Maloof, 54, has filed a federal lawsuit against PBPD and Officer Cody Spaulding, accusing them of failing to conduct a proper investigation before issuing a warrant for her arrest. The lawsuit alleges that had basic investigative steps been followed, her wrongful detention could have been avoided.
Maloof was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in May 2023, just as she was about to board a flight to Scotland. Federal officers detained her, informing her of an outstanding warrant in Palm Bay, Florida, for grand theft auto, larceny, and fleeing from justice, despite the fact that Maloof had never set foot in the city.
According to court filings, Maloof’s driver’s license was stolen in 2017 and later used by an unknown suspect to rent a U-Haul van online. When the van was never returned, Palm Bay police pursued criminal charges against Maloof, even though the booking process used a different email address and a false phone number.
The lawsuit alleges that Officer Spaulding failed to verify key details before submitting a probable cause affidavit that led to Maloof’s arrest. According to the suit, he made no attempt to contact Maloof at her Georgia residence, did not confirm the identity of the person in U-Haul’s rental records, and ignored discrepancies in the address provided by the thief.
Maloof was held in jail for three days before her husband posted bail. The charges were later dropped, but the legal ordeal left her traumatized and with thousands in legal expenses.
“All this fear, trouble, and legal expenditure could have been avoided but for the lack of care on behalf of Defendant Spaulding, the City of Palm Bay, and the City of Palm Bay Police Department,” the lawsuit states.
Maloof’s lawsuit comes as PBPD faces growing scrutiny over use-of-force incidents and allegations of leadership failures. As previously reported by Palm Bay Live, former Deputy Chief Lance Fisher has spoken out about what he describes as a culture of favoritism and a failure to hold officers accountable.
“We as a staff recognized that a specific squad had several questionable uses of force incidents,” Fisher told Palm Bay Live.
His concerns include multiple incidents where individuals suffered severe injuries during arrests. In one case, an officer tased a man off a moving motorcycle, breaking his clavicle and five ribs. That same officer was later involved in the arrest of Thomas Farley, who was tased multiple times and left paralyzed after falling from a fence.
Fisher also pointed to what he describes as leadership failures, claiming PBPD prioritizes loyalty over accountability.
“I felt that when Chief Augello refused to terminate the officer and seek criminal prosecution, he placed our community and officers in danger,” Fisher said.
Concerns over PBPD’s internal culture have sparked scrutiny. While allegations have been raised regarding Chief Mario Augello, the Public Information Officer confirms that there is no active investigation into him by any outside entity or law firm.
In a previous statement regarding allegations of misconduct, the department defended its policies and practices:
“The Palm Bay Police Department remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability in serving our community. Recent allegations made by a disgruntled former employee regarding our department’s use-of-force policies and promotional practices are entirely false and without merit.”
With multiple lawsuits now facing PBPD, questions remain about the department’s handling of arrests and internal oversight.
Maloof’s case will proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Correction: A previous version of this report stated that an external investigation was underway into Chief Mario Augello. The Public Information Officer has since confirmed that there is no active investigation by any outside entity or law firm.
