MONROE COUNTY, FL — In a recent case, Alejandro Prieto was sentenced by County Judge Sharon Hamilton after pleading no contest to Driving Under the Influence with Property Damage and Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Property Damage. Judge Hamilton adjudicated Prieto guilty and sentenced him to 12 months of probation on both counts, to run concurrently.
As part of his sentence, Prieto must complete 50 hours of community service, successfully complete DUI School and any recommended treatment, attend a Victim Impact Panel, submit to random urinalysis at his own expense, refrain from consuming alcohol, illegal drugs, or non-prescribed controlled substances, and pay $1,000 in restitution to Ocean Reef Club. His driver’s license was suspended for six months. The court also imposed $1,156 in fines and court costs, in addition to the restitution.
The charges stemmed from a March 16, 2026 incident at the front gate of Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigation, Prieto struck the club’s security gate arm, causing approximately $1,000 in damage, and then left the scene without stopping to provide the required information. Deputies located Prieto a short time later and began a DUI investigation.
During the investigation, deputies observed signs of impairment, including slurred speech, watery and glassy eyes, the odor of an alcoholic beverage, and poor performance on standardized field sobriety exercises. Prieto later provided breath samples of 0.182 and 0.175, both more than twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield stated: “Driving under the influence is never worth the cost. A DUI doesn’t end with an arrest, it brings higher insurance rates, a criminal record, the loss of driving privileges, substantial financial penalties, and consequences that can follow you for years. All of that can be avoided by making one responsible decision before you ever turn the key: call a cab, use a rideshare service, ask a sober friend for a ride, or have a designated driver. Planning ahead costs far less than a DUI and may save a life. If you choose to drink and drive, you will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute impaired drivers because preventing the next tragedy is not optional, it is our responsibility.”
Assistant State Attorney Nick Gastesi prosecuted the case.
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