Drugs were stolen from a rescue helicopter in Florida. Charges have been brought against high-ranking officials.

A grand jury indicted Monroe County's top unelected official on Thursday in connection with an ongoing investigation into drug thefts from a Florida Keys rescue helicopter.

Roman Gastesi is charged with abuse of office, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office said Friday.

“The charges stem from alleged conduct that occurred between August 11 and November 17, 2022, in which Mr. Gastesi is accused of knowingly and willfully obstructing, delaying, or preventing the transmission of information related to the commission of a crime that directly affected the government agency he served,” said Steven Torrence, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

Gastesi, who has worked for the district for 16 years, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The charges came a week after a grand jury indicted county fire captain Andrea Thompson, who heads the Trauma Star helicopter program, and county medical director Dr. Sandra Schwemmer.

They are accused of covering up the theft of Trauma Star medications by the helicopter program's former chief flight nurse, Lynda Rusinowski, in the summer of 2022.

Thompson was charged with two counts of abuse of office, one count of providing false information to authorities, two counts of tampering with evidence, three counts of witness tampering and one count of tampering with patient records.

Schwemmer is accused of abuse of office, passing on false information to the authorities and manipulating patient records.

Both women were released on bail of $250,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Judge Mark Willson issued an arrest warrant for Gastesis and set bail at $250,000, Torrence said.

“This case, like the recent charges against Dr. Schwemmer and Andrea Thompson, demonstrates our office's unwavering commitment to holding public officials accountable for their actions,” Monroe County Prosecutor Dennis Ward said in a prepared statement. “Mr. Gastesis' alleged actions reflect a pattern of misconduct that undermines our community's trust in government, and we are determined to ensure justice is served.”

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.