According to court documents this morning, former Palm Bay City Councilman Pete Filiberto struck a plea deal with the State following his felony arrest for over 10 grams of cocaine, his 3rd DUI, refusing breathalyzer after previous suspension, driving on a suspended license with knowledge, no insurance, and no motorcycle endorsement.
Filiberto withdrew his previous plea of not guilty for the most serious charge, felony possession of cocaine, and entered a plea of no contest. He was sentenced to 24 months probation for the charge with adjudication withheld. If he completes his probation, he will not be considered a convicted felon.
All of the following charges were dropped:
Count 2: Refusing breathalyzer/DUI test after previously doing so before
Count 3: Driving while license suspended with knowledge 2nd time
Count 5: No motorcycle endorsement on drivers license
He pled no contest to the DUI charge (count 4) and was adjudicated guilty. He was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation, $824 in court costs/fines, and 50 hours of community service.
Officers stated that Filiberto also attempted to flee during the traffic stop, but fell off his motorcycle while attempting to do so. He was not charged for fleeing.
Filiberto resigned from his position on the Palm Bay City Council last month, a week after his arrest. His resignation created a vacancy on the council which is currently in the process of accepting applicants to be appointed to fill the position. So far, there have been a total of 15 applicants for the seat.
The city will continue to take applications until the end of the month, with the caveat that applicants must submit to a criminal background check due to the circumstances in which Filiberto resigned.
