A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for sexually assaulting women at Miami International Airport.
Paulo Morales, 48, of Miami, was handed down the sentence by U.S. District Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum for deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor charge.
The crimes occurred in January 2011, while Morales was working as an officer with CBP at the Miami International Airport. During a plea hearing, Morales admitted to groping the breasts of three separate women without their consent and while they were in the custody of CBP.
The Justice Department is committed to holding officers who engage in such conduct accountable, said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility and CBP Internal Affairs, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William White of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Henry Leventis of the Civil Rights Division.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Wifredo A. Ferrar, stated that his office and the Department of Justice are fully committed to protecting the civil rights of citizens from all types of abuses.
Morales’ sentence includes one year of supervised release following his prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case highlights the importance of holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions, particularly when it comes to abusing their power to harm others.
As a CBP officer, Morales was sworn to serve and protect the public, but instead breached that trust and committed heinous crimes against innocent women.
The Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting civil rights is clear, and this case demonstrates the consequences of those who abuse their power and commit such crimes.
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