Five police officers in Puerto Rico have been accused of using their badges to cover up a crime.
On February 1, 2010, police officers from the PRPD Caguas Drug Division arrested three males at a residence located in Juncos, PR. The police officers seized drugs, money and a weapon located inside the residence. However, the officers lied about material facts on what they saw, who they saw, and the actions the three individuals had undertaken.
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 23-count indictment against five defendants charged with obstruction of justice, perjury and false statements, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that defendants Miguel Brenes-Concepción, Ángel A. Reyes-Agosto, Roberto Gonzàlez-Rivera, Juan Rivera-Ocasio, and Reimundo Quiñonez-Castro, police officers, engaged in misleading conduct toward DEA and FBI agents by providing false information concerning what occurred during the arrest and seizure of the three individuals.
The defendants also testified before the Grand Jury of the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and knowingly made false declarations in relation to the original investigation against the three individuals.
“Law enforcement officers who use their badges as a shield to deprive citizens of their constitutional rights, and subsequently engage in misleading conduct to cover up their actions, are not protecting our citizens, they are abusing the trust of those they have sworn to serve,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney José Contreras. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 20 years in prison.
Related Federal Cases
- Sixto Jorge Díaz Colón, Extortion and Obstruction of Justice, Puerto Rico 2019 · Puerto Rico
- Humberto Concepción-Andrades, Cocaine Smuggling, Puerto Rico 2017 · Puerto Rico
- Lemuel Velilla-Reyes, Concealing a Fugitive, Puerto Rico 2011 · North Carolina
- Carlos Maldonado, Securities Fraud and Bank Fraud, Puerto Rico 2012 · Puerto Rico
- Rodolfo Vázquez-Soto, Workers Comp Disability Fraud, Puerto Rico 2024 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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