MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — A Marco Island woman at the center of a sex scandal involving three former city police officers was pulled over for traffic stops several times in February on the island. And she may be getting a free pass, over concerns that the officers were possibly targeting her.
Madeline Barrett is alleged to have had sex with three former Marco Island cops while they were on duty between 2015 and 2017.
Two of the officers - James Inlow and Neil Giansanti - resigned during internal investigations into the allegations of the trysts with Barrett while they were supposed to be on patrol.
A third officer, Kevin Henning, was put on administrative leave before investigators found text messages indicating that he also had sex with Barrett while on duty.
Barrett was pulled over for traffic stops on at least three occasions in February. The second time, a recording from the patrol car's dash-cam captured audio of police chief Al Schettino calling the officer to find out why.
"What's going on out there with pulling over Maddie Barrett?" the chief can be heard asking the officer over the phone.
"Sir, I had her going 49 (miles per hour) on Winterberry," the officer responded.
"Are you sure she's not being singled out?" Schettino asked.
"No Chief, not at all," the officer said.
"Just give her a warning, and that's it," Schettino instructed.
When Fox 4 asked the Marco Island Police Department about Schettino's intervention during a routine traffic stop, spokesman Captain Dave Baer emailed a statement reading in part:
"Given the high-profile nature of these traffic stops, Chief Schettino became involved to ensure that the person being stopped, the department, and the community's interests were being protected."
