Reports of Police Misconduct & Framing Minors out of Biscayne Park, Florida Police Department
On June 11th, a former Florida police chief and two officers were charged with framing a teenager with four burglaries in order to boost the police department’s arrest statistics. Specifically, the officers—former Chief Raimundo Atesiano and former officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez—were charged with “conspiracy to violate civil rights under color of law” and “deprivation of a 16-year-old’s civil rights,” and could face up to 11 years in prison, if convicted.
What Happened
How deep does this injustice and conspiracy go? According to the reports, the chief urged officers to arrest the minor in 2013 all while knowing that there was no evidence and “no lawful basis” to support any charges. Officers Dayoub and Fernandez reportedly used evidence from four previous burglaries that were never solved, making up false narratives to imply that the teen committed the robberies.
Although when Atesiano was chief, the department had a “100 percent clearance rate” when it came to reported burglaries, it now appears that that statistic was completely fictitious. Atesiano was also investigated for allegedly borrowing thousands of dollars and arranging to pay off the money through taxpayer-funded off-duty work and overtime.
What Motivated This? Florida’s History of Police Misconduct
According to Miami New Times, in a small village like Biscayne Park—where crimes are somewhat rare, and there isn’t much to investigate each year—“it looks pretty bad” if you can’t solve what’s thrown your way. But to just what extent is this an issue for other villages in Florida?
The police departments in small towns like this have around 11 officers on staff, and the number of police officers involved in violations like these can make up one-quarter of the entire staff. Sadly, Florida has a history of police misconduct like this: last year, a man sued the same police department after he accused Officer George Miyares of savagely beating him. Biscayne Park reportedly hired Miyares in spite of the office having previously received rejections from 10 other departments, failed polygraph and psychological tests, and citations for excessive use of force. In addition, another former Biscayne Park officer—Guillermo Ravelo—was previously charged with assaulting two people, falsifying police reports, hitting a driver during a traffic stop, and striking someone with a blunt object—all while he was on duty.
Florida Civil Rights Attorneys
It is important to note that, in Florida, there is a five-year limit on the statute of limitations on bringing police corruption cases. If you are the victim of police misconduct and your civil rights have been violated, contact our firm right away to ensure that you are protected and compensated for any harm done to you. Contact us at the Baez Law Firm today to find out more.
Resources:
foxnews.com/us/2018/06/12/ex-police-chief-2-officers-framed-florida-teen-to-bolster-burglary-arrests-stats-police-say.html
miaminewtimes.com/news/biscayne-park-police-chief-framed-teen-for-burglaries-feds-say-10434118