Marion County Sheriff's Deputy, Nicholas Ragosta had been on paid administrative leave for nearly two years, since August 2009, while being investigated by the FDLE and the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency.
He was arrested in April on drug charges. The 10-year veteran deputy stopped getting a paycheck after his arrest, but had not been fired.
"There are certain rights that deputies have and we didn't want to violate any of those things by terminating him prematurely," MCSO Public Information Officer, Jenifer Lowe told TV20. "So that is why he was placed on leave."
In his resignation letter, Ragosta stated that he is innocent and made the decision to resign in the best interest of his family.