Ex-FHP 'Trooper of the Year' pleads guilty to drug conspiracy, conspiring to defraud U.S.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — A former FHP trooper went from 2009's "Trooper of the Year" to pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics, conspiring to defraud the United States, and possessing firearms and ammunition while an unlawful user of controlled substances.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said while working as a designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and employed as a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper, 45-year-old Joshua Earrey, along with an accomplice, committed a series of crimes between 2017 and 2023.

These crimes involved stealing money and illegal drugs seized as evidence, distributing the stolen drugs through others, and extorting or accepting bribes from drug dealers in exchange for protection from law enforcement, according to the plea agreement.