A former police officer awaiting sentencing on a conviction of sexually battering a woman was found dead in his cell at the Pinellas County Jail.



Larry Kobielnik, 38, was convicted Wednesday night of sexually battering a woman and impersonating an officer. He was arrested in July 2013 after a woman said he put handcuffs on her, then took her to his house and raped her.

Kobielnik was scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. Thursday, but detention deputies found him dead in his cell in the maximum security section of the jail at about 3:30 a.m. Medical staff attempted to revive him but their attempts were unsuccessful, officials said.

Kobielnik's death is under investigation.