Guillermo Ravelo, a former Biscayne Park police officer, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a scheme to deprive individuals of their civil rights, federal prosecutors announced today. Ravelo, 27, was convicted of conspiracy to deprive a person of their civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law.
According to court filings, Ravelo, along with two other officers, Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez, falsely arrested and charged individuals with unsolved burglaries at the direction of former Biscayne Park Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano. The scheme was designed to provide false clearance statistics for the benefit of Chief Atesiano.
“Officers who use excessive force and make false arrests maliciously cause harm to their victims and scourge our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan. “With great power, comes great responsibility. Through aggressive federal prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida will continue to guard the invaluable civil rights of every member of our community and hold those accountable who violate our constitutional protections.”
Atesiano, who previously pleaded guilty to acting under color of law, admitted to instructing Ravelo, Dayoub, and Fernandez to falsely arrest and charge individuals with unsolved burglaries on three separate occasions. The scheme was carried out between 2013 and 2014.
“Honesty and integrity are the core values of every effective police officer,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Former Biscayne Park Police Officers Guillermo Ravelo, Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez undermined their essential task of protecting the community, in some instances by using excessive force and in others, by conspiring to deprive suspects of their civil rights so as to produce bogus arrests. This absolute abuse of power by all three officers violated every aspect of the oath Ravelo, Dayoub, and Fernandez took the day they became police officers.”
The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force was instrumental in uncovering the scheme and bringing the perpetrators to justice. “The citizens of South Florida can take comfort in the fact that the vast majority of police officers are honest, forthright individuals who are committed to doing the job right,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office. “To those officers who aren’t, the FBI is committed to rooting them out.”
Ravelo’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerri A. Kelly and Alexandra Chase.
The case highlights the importance of holding public officials accountable for their actions and ensuring that they uphold the law and respect the rights of all individuals. As U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan noted, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and those who abuse their authority will be held accountable.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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