KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A police officer is on the wrong side of the law. Kissimmee Officer Joseph Gulino has been charged with selling a car that he knew had been stolen. Someone in North Carolina bought the car from him over the Internet.

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Investigators aren't sure if the officer is involved in stealing the car. They say this is the very tip of the investigation and they're following several more leads.

The Florida Highway Patrol was brought into this by the Kissimmee Police Department because, when North Carolina authorities called, officers realized the man they were investigating was one of their own.

After eight years on the Kissimmee police force, Officer Joseph Gulino is suspended without pay. But investigators say he was apparently making plenty of money on the internet.

"There is some allegation of stolen auto parts sold over the Internet but, to our knowledge, not vehicles stolen in the Kissimmee area," says Capt. Russ Barnes, Kissimmee Police Department.

A red mustang was reported stolen in New Jersey three years ago. Somehow, Gulino ended up with it and listed it on eBay. When a buyer in North Carolina tried to get it registered, the investigation began.

"They just needed some assistance in tracking the individual down and, of course, we notified them that he was a police officer," says Capt. Barnes.

The Florida Highway Patrol took over and now he's charged with selling a motor vehicle without an identification number and without a title, a felony and a misdemeanor. Kissimmee Police are also doing an internal investigation.

"Anytime one of our officers is accused of a crime it's disappointing and something we take very seriously. Officers are expected to uphold the law," says Capt. Barnes.

Gulino's personnel file shows nothing criminal, but he was suspended without pay a year ago for sending a sexually explicit photo around the office. He was rehired after an appeal in January, but these latest allegations are far more serious.

"He made a statement to FHP admitting he did these things, but also stated things he did were above board and straightforward," explains Capt. Barnes.

Friends at the garage where Gulino works part time say this is all a misunderstanding and that he's also a victim. He soups up cars for racing and then re-sells them as a hobby. But investigators say cars that were stolen are usually off limits.

"Every case is specific, but the majority of the time you need a license, you need a title, you need a VIN number," says Capt. Ernie Duarte, Florida Highway Patrol.

And investigators are still looking at other Internet sales to see if they were legal. This may be an isolated incident, but they warn it's very early. There could be more people involved and more charges.