Palm Bay councilman Filiberto charged with DUI, cocaine possession

PALM BAY — Palm Bay City Council Member Pete Filiberto was arrested Saturday night on charges of riding his motorcycle while impaired and carrying 10 grams of cocaine in his shoe, court records show.

Filiberto, 34, elected to office in 2022, was charged with possession of cocaine, reckless driving, DUI alcohol, no motorcycle endorsement, and refusing a DUI test. The powdered cocaine was found after Filiberto was taken to the police department's holding cell and ordered to remove his shoes, arrest records show.

Court records show that the arrest was Filiberto's third on DUI charges.

Palm Bay police say Filiberto, whose address was listed as being in Surfside in Miami-Dade County, was stopped by officers at about 11:50 p.m. Saturday on Lipscomb Street in Palm Bay. He was booked into the Brevard County Jail and later bonded out before going to court, records show.

Police said an officer pulled Filiberto over after spotting the council member near Huckleberry and Lipscomb streets. The officer then turned around and saw Filiberto ride his motorcycle into the Palm Bay Colony neighborhood, records show.

Filiberto then sped away and attempted to make a U-turn to ride away from the officer but lost control and fell over, arrest reports show. The officer pulled up and noticed the smell of alcohol on Filiberto’s breath and took him into custody.

It was not immediately known if Filiberto had retained an attorney Sunday. No court date has been set.

Filiberto, a contractor with the Department of Veteran Affairs, also serves as vice-chair of the Brevard County Planning and Zoning Board.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected]. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay police arrest council member on DUI charges