Hialeah Police Officer Raul Castellon, 38, was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption, access device fraud, and identity fraud charges.
A fellow officer, Neilin Gonzalez Diaz, 32, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for their crimes.
Castellon and Gonzalez Diaz pled guilty to the charges in a Miami, Florida court.
According to court documents, Castellon used his position as a law enforcement officer to access a confidential database from June 1, 2016, to October 19, 2016. He sent over 25 screen shots depicting the personal identifying information of unsuspecting victims to Gonzalez Diaz in exchange for gifts.
Gonzalez Diaz used the confidential information to assume the identities of the victims and fraudulently obtain merchandise from retail stores throughout Florida.
The Hialeah Police Department terminated Castellon’s employment as an officer as a result of this matter.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, ATF, Miami-Dade Police Department, and Hialeah Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes.
The court ordered Castellon and Gonzalez Diaz to pay $64,500 in restitution and forfeit their gains.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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