Woman did more than visit boyfriend in jail, cops say

An interviewer with the Pinellas County Public Defender's Office did more than visit her inmate boyfriend at the Pinellas County Jail, authorities say.

She had sexual relationships with him at the jail and brought him marijuana, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives arrested Alexandra Nicole Petitt, 20, this afternoon after interviewing her at the jail. She has been charged with two counts of bribery and official misconduct. Her bail is set at $10,000, jail records show.

Petitt, of St. Petersburg, would sign in at the jail as though she had an official public defender's visit to interview inmate and boyfriend Tywan Armstrong, 30, of St. Petersburg, the sheriff's office says.

But Armstrong was being represented by a private attorney, not the public defender's office, and there was no reason for the public defender's office to interview him, the sheriff's office said.

An anonymous caller contacted the sheriff's office on Dec. 14 and said Petitt was using her official position to visit Armstrong. The caller said they would meet in the private attorney and client rooms, which state law doesn't allow deputies to monitor.

While in the room, the tipster said, Pettit would pass him marijuana and have sex with him, the sheriff's office said.

Petitt began working for the public defender's office in August 2009. After her training period concluded, she began to visit Armstrong in November, authorities say.

Armstrong was booked into the jail in January 2009 on charges that include operating a drug house, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, manufacture and deliver, trafficking in cocaine, and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer.

On Tuesday, Armstrong was transferred to the state Department of Corrections to begin serving a sentence on unrelated charges.

Detectives verified her visits to Armstrong through jail records. Detectives have also traced jail telephone calls between Petitt and Armstrong, where the conversations substantiate the sexual relationship and marijuana delivery, the sheriff's office said.