Former Palm Bay City Councilman Peter Filiberto sentenced to probation in plea offer
In a Tuesday plea offer, former Palm Bay City Councilman Peter Filiberto will serve two years of supervised probation stemming from his Feb. 11 arrest on cocaine and DUI charges.
Filiberto resigned his City Council Seat 5 post six days after his arrest by city police during a motorcycle traffic stop in the Palm Bay Colony neighborhood off Lipscomb Street. At the police department's booking center, police found 10.6 grams of cocaine in his shoe and sock, a probable cause affidavit said.
He was charged with possession of cocaine, a third-degree felony, along with five misdemeanors: reckless driving, DUI, no motorcycle endorsement on driver’s license, refusal to submit breath test, and driving with a suspended license.
During a Tuesday early resolution hearing at the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center in Viera, Filiberto pleaded no contest to the possession of cocaine and DUI charges.
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State attorneys dropped the reckless driving charge last month, and they dismissed the other three charges Tuesday, clerk of courts records show.
Brevard County Court Judge Kimberly Musselman sentenced Filiberto to 24 months of supervised probation with the Florida Department of Corrections on the cocaine charge. He was also ordered to pay $781 in court costs and fees.
On the DUI charge, Filiberto was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation, which will run concurrently with his 24-month stint. He must also pay $824 in court costs and fines; his driver's license was revoked for six months; and he must perform 50 hours of community service.
Filiberto declined comment Tuesday afternoon. Messages seeking comment were left for his attorney, Samantha Lambert of Longwood, and the State Attorney's Office.
Adjudication was withheld on Filiberto's cocaine charge, while a guilty plea was entered for the DUI charge.
Filiberto won a special election in March 2022 for City Council Seat 5. Now, 14 hopefuls — including former mayor William Capote — have applied for consideration to replace him.
Seat 5 applications will be accepted at City Hall through 5 p.m. March 29, and information is available on the city website.
The City Council will rank the applicant pool on April 6. The top five candidates will be considered during an April 13 special meeting, where council members will appoint Filiberto's replacement.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Former Palm Bay councilman Filiberto sentenced to probation in plea offer
