Gainesville Police Department Detective Kelvin Mattair was arrested Monday on charges of disclosure and obstruction of confidential criminal justice information, interception of communications and fraud and abuse of computer access.
Mattair was a Gun Violence Unit detective and a member of GPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team. Prior to his arrest, he worked for GPD for about eight years.
In late 2025, the FBI began investigating Mattair because it suspected he was warning local drug dealers and convicted felons about police watching them and he gave them arrest information, according to court documents. GPD, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office and a confidential source confirmed Mattair grew up in East Gainesville with known drug dealers.
Another unknown source also told the FBI in November 2025 that Mattair notified local drug dealers of upcoming GPD warrants.
The GPD Gun Violence Unit received a tip in August 2025 that a convicted felon was selling drugs and carrying guns. On Sept. 8, 2026, the same felon said Mattair approached him at The Oaks Mall and warned him he was being watched by GPD and needed to stop.
Two days later, Mattair was on a video call with a woman in his police vehicle, according to court documents. He looked up information regarding her friend's reckless driving ticket. She and her friend were “trying to get the ticket thrown out,” the woman said, according to court documents. Mattair said her friend needed to take the ticket to court.
In the same call, the woman asked him to look up where a car she frequently borrowed got towed to. He told her ACSO arrested the guy who was driving the car earlier that day.
Mattair said he would help if he could, according to court documents.
A week later, Mattair was on a call with a man who was charged with a DUI. Mattair, who was off duty, entered his police car and told the man to go to court and validate the ticket. GPD doesn’t have a specific regulation for officers entering their vehicle off duty, but they are not authorized to use the computers for unprofessional communication.
“I’m about to look that bitch up,” Mattair said in reference to the police report while on the call.
Mattair read the police report off his computer and the sworn complaint aloud, still on the call. He told the man the officer pulled him over for 3% tint on his car.
He said that if they pulled him over for something without giving him a warning, then he can fight it. He proceeded to tell the individual when his court date was.
Mattair called the man the following day and told him they could get the case thrown out. He also shared the names of the three detectives involved with his arrest.
Within the same week, Mattair received a call from a convicted felon with three charges, including the possession of a controlled substance in 2003. The individual’s verdict was withheld because he was in possession of pills. Mattair suggested he go to the State Attorney’s office and file paperwork to get his felony history removed from records.
The man also said he got pulled over with his ankle monitor on.
“Let me know if you need a reference or story or something,” Mattair said, according to the court documents. “We’ll come up with a story.”
The FBI and GPD shared news of Mattair’s arrest in a press conference Tuesday morning.
“We continue to investigate any other instances where we believe he has used his position to compromise other investigations,” State Attorney Brian Kramer said.
Contact Teia Williams at twilliams@alligator.org. Follow her on X @teia_williams.
Teia Williams is a journalism senior at UF and the Fall 2026 criminal justice reporter. This is her fourth semester with The Alligator. If she isn't writing an article, you can find her a concert, reading a book or somewhere soaking up the sun.
