Andrew Stokes

Over the course of my professional 19 years career, I have worn several hats. For 3 years, I served in the Florida Army National Guard (FLARNG). My only deployment was part of Task Force Gator in support of U.S Capitol Police and USSS to provide security for 2009 Inaugural victory of President Barack Hussein Obama.

For 11 years, I served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO). Held a few positions, patrol for 7 years, a Detective working GTA and Property Crimes for a year, on our Emergency Response Team for 7 years, serving as an Assistant Team Leader, and on Force Protection as a Rifleman. I was also a Defensive Tactics Instructor for 3 years.

I left OCSO to become a Special Agent with Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). During that time, I served as part of Gov. Ron De Santis’s protective detail (all Special Agents did) while also focusing on my primary investigation mission. While in Tampa, I served on our Organized Crime squad. In Jacksonville, FL, I served on two DOJ sponsored task forces simultaneously. I served on the Electronic Surveillance Support Team (ESST) where I built and deployed surveillance devices in the field, and geo tracked violent felony targets using finishing tools for local, state, and federal partners. I also served on our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit. This was the most difficult mental challenge I faced.

I left public service in 2023, and now serve as a Security Business Analyst- Team Lead for Thrive Next Gen Technologies, while pursuing an ALM in Cybersecurity at Harvard Extension School as an admitted degree candidate.