Cop Uses License Plate Reader Data To Stalk 'Shiny Thing' Also Known As A Human Being

Surveillance resources like automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in the right hands with the proper authorities should be used for catching real criminals of real or heinous crimes, not personal "shiny" new interests. But without proper guidance or laws to keep unlawful surveillance from happening, we end up with situations like this former Florida deputy who used his department's resources to stalk and track a woman which led to an unwarranted traffic stop that nearly culminated in a head-on collision.

First reported by Local 10 News, off-duty deputy Lamar Eliseo Roman, was on set in the Florida Keys working security for the filming of Apple TV's "Bad Monkey." Roman's transgressions began with what most women have learned instinctively to shrug off — a bunch of cat calling and whistling as female extras for the day arrived on set. According to reports from Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Roman was reported to say "Oh my god, why didn't nobody tell me we were bringing models to set." But his attentions were focused to one woman in the group of extras that day, which Roman was said to have flirted and chatted with. Reports say they exchanged names and cell numbers even though the woman had told the deputy that she had a boyfriend.

From there, Roman went to work finding the woman on Instagram where he was said to have direct messaged her as well. The woman never responded.

Things escalated when investigators say Roman entered the woman's name into Florida's Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID, as well as the Florida Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center to find her license plate information. The tools are meant to be used by authorities to locate criminals or suspects in the state of Florida, but in Roman's case, this was his own personal project. He entered the woman's information into a "hotlist" — a list of vehicles that authorities are looking for. At that point, if the woman's plate were to come across any license plate reader then Roman would now be alerted of its location.

Investigators said that on February 19, a license plate reader did scan the woman's plate. Roman's reaction was recorded on dash cam footage obtained by 404 Media, where he proceeded to reach speeds of over 70 mph on Florida's US 1, haphazardly passing vehicles and almost running head-on into a truck as he attempted to catch up with the woman and pull her over.

According to investigators, the woman had said she "observed a patrol car cut off the truck behind her and she had a feeling it was Deputy Roman."

Roman's in-car camera was said to have not captured audio of the stop because it had no microphone, nor did he have a body camera and he did not log the stop into the system. But the woman added that stop made her uncomfortable because of Roman's comments which also included asking why she didn't follow him back on Instagram, as well as stating that he "thought she had a boyfriend." When she asked how Roman had found her, his alleged response was "I told you I'd find you and pull you over," to which he followed that he had hoped her boyfriend would be in the car so he could "give him a hard time."

Roman reportedly knew he had done something stupid the moment he entered her information into the databases. He told investigators in March that he "didn't need to, but, I don't know, I knew right when I did that, I was like 'f***.'"

Investigators inquired as to why he was pursuing her, and Roman says he just wanted to say "hi" and "we were laughing and then that's kind of it." He admitted it was stupid and added, "I mean, it's a tough month and I saw a shiny thing and teasing and all that and I knew that when I put that I'm like 'f***', and that's why I just like I stopped right after and nothing else."

The woman had no idea the extent to which Roman had abused police resources to track her, and despite finding out when investigators informed her, she still decided not to press charges. However, Monroe County did. Roman was let go from his Florida Keys post as well as arrested and charged with abuse of computer access to an electronic device without authority, a third-degree felony. As of July 1 he was discharged of his $50,000 bond as part of his pretrial. There are no future court dates listed at the moment for Roman as of this writing.

This is just one of dozens of examples of what errant police officers have done with the automated license plate readers as well as their own surveillance technology that is designated for the use to find criminals and criminal persons of interest, not persons of personal interest. And while Monroe County fired Roman and pressed charges against him for his actions, this hasn't always been procedure or the case for similar indiscretions. If more protective measures were passed into law to protect data perhaps it would help tamper the abuse. But that would require competent people making laws against those things, and well, you know how that is in the year 2026 in America.