Key West police sergeant indicted in marijuana solicitation case

Key West police Sgt. David Kouri was indicted by a Monroe County grand jury on one count of solicitation to deliver or sell marijuana, turning an internal discipline case into a criminal one and putting fresh scrutiny on the city’s police department.

The charge stems from conduct investigators tied to around June 30, 2025. Kouri had already been disciplined inside the department over inappropriate text messages that allegedly sought marijuana while he was on duty. He was expected to be arraigned on April 24 and planned to enter a written not-guilty plea while waiving his appearance.

Internal-affairs records described messages sent while Kouri was on patrol in a marked police vehicle. In those texts, he allegedly asked Halley Freeman about obtaining medical marijuana pre-rolls or a vape pen. Investigators concluded he was effectively asking a medical marijuana card holder to transfer prescribed marijuana to another person. The department sustained unbecoming conduct, but found the criminal allegation unfounded internally and recommended a written reprimand.

Chief of Police Sean Brandenburg later placed Kouri on administrative leave with pay on April 20 pending further review. The leave was described as administrative and not a disciplinary finding, but it still removed a sergeant from active duty while the case moved forward.

The case lands inside a department that the city says is the southernmost police department in the continental United States. The Key West Police Department also describes itself as a state-accredited agency. Its public directory lists Brandenburg as chief and gives the department’s address as 1604 North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West.

The indictment also arrives during a period of heightened attention on public officials in Monroe County. In April 2025, a Monroe County grand jury indicted Ronald Ramsingh, James Young and Rajindhar Ramsingh in a separate joint investigation involving the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For Key West policing, the immediate stakes go beyond one officer’s case. A sworn sergeant facing a marijuana solicitation charge raises questions about supervision, internal oversight and whether the department’s disciplinary system was enough when the conduct first came to light. In a small city where officers are highly visible and trust can change quickly, the impact reaches well past one arrest or one indictment.