A late-night search and rescue call sends a helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater into the Gulf of Mexico while cutter crews push out of Tampa Bay on a drug interdiction patrol. Meanwhile, a Coast Guard member back at Sector St. Petersburg receives a phone call from a CGIS agent requesting an interview about allegations that surfaced weeks earlier. The same operational tempo that defines service along Florida’s Gulf Coast can leave a Coast Guard member isolated when criminal charges or administrative actions threaten to end a career. If you are under investigation or facing charges at Sector St. Petersburg, the decisions you make in the next few days will shape everything that follows.
Joseph L. Jordan, a former Army JAG officer, represents Coast Guard members facing UCMJ charges and administrative actions at Sector St. Petersburg and throughout the Tampa Bay region. He has defended more than 1,000 military clients and tried over 250 courts-martial. Licensed in Arkansas, Mr. Jordan has been featured by Fox News, ABC, Anderson Cooper, and The Wall Street Journal for his defense work in military cases. His Coast Guard results include a FULL ACQUITTAL on larceny charges for an E-7 at Mayport Naval Station, Florida, a NOT GUILTY verdict on sexual assault charges for an O-1, and a NOT GUILTY verdict on substance abuse charges for an E-5. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Call (888) 367-9489 for a free, confidential consultation. Available 24/7.
The Coast Guard’s presence at St. Petersburg originated in 1924 when Coast Guard Base St. Petersburg was commissioned on the north side of Bayboro Harbor, and a Coast Guard Air Station was established at Albert Whitted Airport in 1934. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg encompasses West Central Florida from Apalachicola in the northwest to Everglades City in the southwest, covering approximately 500 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline. The sector oversees the major port complex in Tampa Bay, one of the busiest commercial shipping channels on the Gulf of Mexico. Within this area of responsibility, Sector St. Petersburg directs five primary operational missions: search and rescue, marine safety, maritime law enforcement, ports, waterways and coastal security, and living marine resources enforcement.
The sector commands five subordinate stations: Station St. Petersburg, Station Sand Key in Clearwater, Station Cortez south of Tampa Bay, Station Fort Myers Beach, and Station Yankeetown in northwest Florida. Six homeported cutters operate under the sector’s oversight. Sector St. Petersburg also coordinates closely with Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, the largest single air station in the entire Coast Guard, where nearly 700 aviation and support personnel fly more than 400 search and rescue cases each year along both coasts of Florida and into the Bahamas. This operational reach means Coast Guard members stationed throughout the region fall within the sector’s command authority and are subject to the UCMJ.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) conducts criminal investigations involving Coast Guard personnel across all Sector St. Petersburg commands, including subordinate stations and units that support Air Station Clearwater. CGIS agents are federal law enforcement officers with authority to interview witnesses, collect digital and physical evidence, coordinate with local law enforcement throughout the Tampa Bay area, and build cases for referral to court-martial or other adverse action.
Investigations at Sector St. Petersburg often begin with a command referral, a report through the Coast Guard’s reporting channels, or a positive urinalysis result. CGIS agents may contact you by phone, visit your duty station, or request a formal interview at their offices. Regardless of how contact is initiated, you have Article 31 rights that protect you from self-incrimination. You are not required to answer questions, and anything you say can be used against you in a court-martial or administrative proceeding.
Contacting a military defense attorney before speaking with investigators is the single most important step you can take to protect yourself. Early legal intervention allows your attorney to assess the scope of the investigation, preserve favorable evidence, and prevent you from making damaging admissions.
The operational environment at Sector St. Petersburg gives rise to a range of UCMJ charges. Members who rotate between cutter deployments, station duty, and shore assignments face scrutiny both on and off duty. Among the most common charges:
Under the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act, the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) was established with independent authority to prosecute certain serious offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and other covered crimes. This means that for qualifying charges, the decision to refer a case to court-martial no longer rests solely with the convening authority in your chain of command. OSTC prosecutors operate outside the traditional command structure, and they bring dedicated resources to these cases. Coast Guard members at Sector St. Petersburg facing OSTC-covered offenses need defense counsel who understands how this prosecution model works and how to mount an effective defense against it.
Not every allegation results in a court-martial. Coast Guard members may also face non-judicial punishment (NJP) under Article 15, or be referred to involuntary separation boards that can result in discharge with a characterization that affects veterans’ benefits and future employment. At Sector St. Petersburg, where members serve across multiple stations and cutters, administrative actions can follow a failed urinalysis, a pattern of misconduct allegations, or a single incident that the command deems inconsistent with continued service. A court-martial lawyer experienced with Coast Guard cases understands how to defend against these actions at every level.
The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, but the UCMJ applies fully to all Coast Guard members. Military defense counsel assigned to Coast Guard cases often juggle heavy caseloads spread across multiple sectors and stations. Retaining experienced civilian counsel provides you with an attorney who is dedicated solely to your case, who conducts an independent investigation, and who is not subject to the military chain of command.
Mr. Jordan’s case results demonstrate a sustained record of defending service members across every branch against serious UCMJ charges.
Free consultation. Confidential. No obligation. Call or text (888) 367-9489.
What should I do if CGIS contacts me at Sector St. Petersburg?
Do not agree to an interview or provide a written statement before consulting with an attorney. You have the right under Article 31 to remain silent, and exercising that right cannot be held against you. Contact a military defense attorney immediately so that any future communication with investigators happens with legal guidance in place.
Can I be charged under the UCMJ for off-duty conduct in the Tampa Bay area?
Yes. The UCMJ applies to Coast Guard members at all times, regardless of whether the alleged conduct occurred on or off duty. CGIS routinely investigates allegations that originate from incidents in the St. Petersburg and Tampa communities, and local law enforcement often refers cases involving military personnel to CGIS.
How does the OSTC affect my case if I am accused of sexual assault?
The Office of Special Trial Counsel has independent authority to decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault. This means the decision no longer rests with your commanding officer alone. OSTC prosecutors handle these cases with dedicated resources, and defense counsel must be prepared to respond to their procedures and charging decisions.
What is the difference between NJP and a court-martial in the Coast Guard?
NJP under Article 15 is a non-judicial proceeding where your commanding officer can impose punishment including reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay, restriction, and extra duties. A court-martial is a formal criminal trial with a military judge and, in some cases, a panel of members. Both can result in career-ending consequences, but a court-martial conviction can also lead to confinement and a punitive discharge. Coast Guard members have the right to refuse NJP and demand a court-martial, but this decision requires careful legal analysis.
Will hiring a civilian attorney cause problems with my command?
No. You have the legal right to retain civilian counsel at any stage of the military justice process. Your command cannot retaliate against you for exercising this right. Civilian defense attorneys operate independently of the military chain of command, which allows them to advocate for your interests without institutional constraints.
