Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective Josue Garriga III was sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Federal prosecutors said Garriga, 35, of St. Augustine, also known as “Sway,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison. After his prison term, Garriga must register as a sex offender and serve 10 years of supervised release. The court also ordered him to forfeit two cellphones used in the offense, according to the Department of Justice sentencing announcement.
Former JSO Gang Unit Detective Met the Victim at Church
According to federal court documents summarized by prosecutors, Garriga was a detective assigned to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit when he met the 17-year-old victim at church in 2023. Prosecutors said Garriga pursued a sexual relationship with the teen until approximately March 7, 2024.
The Justice Department said Garriga used a JSO-issued cellphone and an undercover social media account to contact the victim and obtain her phone number. He then moved the communications to his personal cellphone and directed messages to an encrypted app set to automatically delete messages after 24 hours, according to the DOJ guilty plea announcement.
Prosecutors said Garriga used his JSO work vehicle on multiple occasions to travel to Clay County to meet the victim and engage in unlawful sexual contact. Federal authorities also said he used his law enforcement position, equipment, and access in connection with the offense.
Guilty Plea and Federal Sentence
Garriga pleaded guilty on July 16, 2024, to enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. At the time of the plea, prosecutors said he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison.
On November 22, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Garriga had been sentenced to 292 months, equal to 24 years and 4 months. He was remanded into custody following the sentencing hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker said Garriga violated a position of community trust and sought to take advantage of a child. The case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, including Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Called the Arrest a “Black Eye” on JSO
Before the federal sentencing, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters publicly addressed Garriga’s arrest. In a News4JAX interview, Waters called the arrest of the now-former JSO officer “a black eye on the agency.” News4JAX reported that Garriga resigned after being accused in the Clay County sex-crime investigation involving the 17-year-old girl he met at church.
According to News4JAX, Waters said there were no warning signs that Garriga might have been involved in the alleged misconduct. Waters also acknowledged public frustration, saying the situation was “inexcusable” and that he did not want it to happen again.
Prior Controversies Involving Garriga
Garriga’s name had appeared in prior controversy before the federal child-exploitation case. News4JAX reported that he was involved in a 2019 fatal shooting of 22-year-old Jamee Johnson during a traffic stop. The State Attorney’s Office ruled that shooting justified, but Johnson’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit, and the city settled the case for $200,000.
Garriga was also one of the Jacksonville officers named in a federal lawsuit filed by Le’Keian Woods, who alleged excessive force after a September 2023 traffic stop and foot chase. The Associated Press reported that Woods sued Jacksonville officers Hunter Sullivan, Trey McCullough, and former officer Josue Garriga, alleging the incident left him with serious injuries. Sheriff Waters defended the use of force as justified, according to AP reporting.
Why This Case Matters
Cases like Garriga’s are especially serious because they involve not only criminal conduct, but the abuse of public trust by a sworn law enforcement officer. Garriga was not an ordinary offender with no institutional authority. He was a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective assigned to a specialized unit, and prosecutors said he used law enforcement resources while pursuing and exploiting a minor.
For communities already concerned about police accountability, Garriga’s case adds to the record of officers whose conduct undermines trust in the agencies they represent. His federal conviction and lengthy prison sentence now stand as a documented legal outcome: a former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detective pleaded guilty, was sentenced to more than two decades in prison, and will be required to register as a sex offender after release.
