DEPUTY IN PALM BEACH COUNTY GANG UNIT IS ARRESTED ON EVIDENCE, DRUG-
RELATED CHARGES

A Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy previously accused of leaking
information relating to the Port St. Lucie turnpike murder of a
family of four was arrested Wednesday on unrelated charges, authorities said.

Joseph Archambault, 34, surrendered to his attorney on charges of
tampering with evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was
released from the Palm Beach County Jail after paying $3,000 bail,
sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said.

While searching Archambault's unmarked squad car on two separate
dates, supervisors found a red Tic-Tac container -- evidence in a
Sheriff's Office case -- and a sipping straw cut down to three
inches, court documents show.

Both items had a residue that later tested positive for cocaine.

The straw was found inside Archambault's blue briefcase Dec. 1, court
documents show.

Detectives found the Tic-Tac container in his car Nov. 22.
Archambault, a detective in the gang unit, first told his superiors
that the breath mint container was given to him that same day while
helping deputies on a home invasion call. He planned to log it into
evidence, he said.

But investigators found the container in a folded brown paper bag
that had been sealed in September and signed by Archambault.
Archambault then told investigators that he tossed the Tic-Tac
dispenser from Nov. 22 into a storm drain and that he forgot to log
the dispenser from September.

An investigation showed Archambault found the Tic-Tac dispenser
during a traffic stop. Deputies who helped him in that stop said the
container had a "significant amount" of what looked like crack
cocaine. Neither the dispenser nor the drugs was logged into
evidence, court documents show.

Archambault previously surrendered to the Sheriff's Office on Nov. 30
on charges of giving information to a woman interviewed by detectives
in the slaying of the Escobedo family along Florida's Turnpike Oct. 13.

Authorities have arrested four people on federal drug charges and
called them "persons of interest" in the murders of Jose Luis
Escobedo, 28, his wife Yessica, 25, and their two sons, Luis Damien,
4, and Luis Julian, 3.

While the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office has yet to make an arrest
in the killings, authorities said Archambault did not taint the
investigation because he talked to the woman after the persons of
interest were jailed.

His superiors said Archambault gave information to the woman because
he wanted a romance.

Archambault remains on unpaid leave while internal affairs officials
conduct an investigation into his actions. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw will
determine his fate at the agency.