Yuri Millan, Bribery and Kickback Scheme, Florida 2013

Four individuals arrested in Florida for their participation in an illegal bribery and kickback scheme.

Former Miami Dade Police Officer Yuri Millan, 39, Oriel Ugardes, 42, and Jose Guim, 34, are charged with conspiring and participating in a bribery and kickback scheme, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years imprisonment, up to 3 years supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.

The investigation revealed that Oriel Ugardes, the owner of O&U towing, was paying police department employees bribes in return for their assistance in enabling the defendant and his company trucks to circumvent the MDPD rotational wrecker system.

Millan and his accomplice, former MDPD Public Service Aide Elina Rodriguez, would permit O&U tow trucks to tow disabled vehicles directly from accident scenes. They would also use their MDPD computers to access police databases and locate accidents that were “holding,” that is, which were not yet assigned a responding officer.

Ugardes and Guim would then use this information to respond to the accident scenes before an officer or PSA arrived and solicit business directly from the stranded driver. Once business was obtained, the disabled vehicles would be towed to body shops which themselves participated in the scheme by paying cash kickbacks based upon the anticipated repair cost of the disabled vehicle.

According to the complaint, the defendants were involved in a conspiracy that began in 2009 and continued until 2014. During that time, Ugardes paid Rodriguez between $100 to $300, per accident, with Rodriguez admitting to receiving at least $35,000.

The investigation also revealed that Millan rented his MDPD police encrypted radio to Ugardes and Guim in return for $300 a week. With that radio, Ugardes and Guim could intercept confidential police communications and identify accident locations.

The FBI Task Force became aware of the allegations in 2013, and the investigation led to the arrest of the four defendants.

State: Florida | City: No City mentioned | Title: Former MDPD Police Officer, Former Public Service Aide and two Tow Truck Drivers Arrested in Illegal Bribery and Kickback Scheme | Content: Four individuals arrested, including former Miami Dade Police Officer, for their participation in illegal bribery and kickback scheme.

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