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U.S. Department of Justice Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez Torre Chardon Suite 1201 (787) 766-5656 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: U.S. Attorney’s Office FOUR POLICE OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO THE SPECIAL ARRESTS AND EXTRADITIONS DIVISION OF THE PUERTO RICO POLI CE DEPARTMENT INDICTED AND ARRESTED For conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, possession with intent to distribute narcotics and illegal use of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime |
SAN JUAN, P.R. - On December 18, 2008, a grand jury returned a ten-count indictment charging four (4) Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) officers with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and forfeiture allegations, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. On a separate one-count indictment, José Arroyo-Maldonado, an inmate at the Bayamón Correctional Facility, was charged with bank fraud. The Indictment against the PRPD officers charges that from on or about April 2007 up to and including May, 2008, PRPD officers Miguel Flores-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Mickey Flores,” a.k.a. “El Viejo,” Heriberto Lebrón-Casiano, Daniel Nieves-Sosa and Everlidys Torres-Nieves, while acting under color of law, willfully conspired, confederated, and agreed with each other, and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to attempt to obstruct, delay and affect, in any way and degree, commerce and the movement of articles and commodities in commerce, by extortion. The defendants obtained property not due to themselves from persons known to the Grand Jury, that is, payments in an aggregate amount of in excess of $10,000, with consent, in exchange for obtaining temporary release orders from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice for inmates detained in a Puerto Rico Correctional Facility under the guise of conducting an official investigation. A fifth defendant José A. López-Batista, a.k.a. “Higuey,” is a private citizen who participated in the conspiracy and attempt to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Defendant Miguel Flores- Vázquez is a Lieutenant of the PRPD and has been employed as a police officer for approximately 33 years. He is the Director of the Special Arrests and Extraditions Division and as such supervises the police officers assigned to the division, among them, defendants Heriberto Lebrón-Casiano, who has been a police officer since on or about February 16, 1996, Daniel Nieves-Sosa, and Everlidys Torres-Nieves. As part of their duties, these police officers requested the P.R. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, authorization to temporarily release an inmatefrom a correctional facility. In order to obtain authorization to temporarily release an inmateand retain custody of the inmate during a certain date and time, the police officer must: (1) provide his/her own full name, title, and badge number; (2) indicate the full name of the inmate and the correctional facility in which the inmate is detained; and (3) certifythat the inmate’s presence is necessary during a specific date and time for an official matter. The police officer has to sign the form and obtain the approval via signature from a District Attorney and from an approving official in the Department of Corrections. Once the authorization is obtained, the police officer can go to the correctional institution and obtain the temporary release and custody of the inmate during the date and time specified. The indictment alleges that, on various occasions, the defendant officers obtained the temporary release and custody of inmates and provided them with surveillance, escort and protection for the transportation of narcotics, using marked police patrol cars for these purposes. The defendant officers carried firearms during the commission of these illegal activities, all in return for payments of approximately $33,500. The second indictment charges José Arroyo-Maldonado, who is detained in the Bayamón Correctional Facility, with bank fraud. He executed a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain moneys and funds in excess of eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) owned by and under the custody of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Defendant Arroyo-Maldonado obtained temporary release orders and was able to execute the fraud scheme with the help of at least two police officers identified as H.L.C. and M.C.E.. "It is a sad day when police officers violate the oath they took to protect the public by becoming common criminals. This appalling conduct shakes the public's trust in law enforcement and tarnishes the image of many dedicated law enforcement agents who confront daily danger in order to uphold their sworn duty," said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. "The public has a right to expect honesty and integrity from its law enforcement officers, and should tolerate nothing less. The U. S. Attorney's Office will continue to vigorously prosecute law enforcement officers who abuse the authority vested in them for financial gain." "Ideally, it should be hard to find one corrupt police officer," said Luis Fraticelli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-San Juan Field Office. "One would have hoped that the many public corruption investigations that have been previously announced would have served to deter this type of conduct. Apparently in this particular situation, this was not the case." If convicted of the drug charges (841 and 846 charges in Counts Two through Five) it is a minimum of 10 years up to life imprisonment. For carrying firearms in relation to a drug trafficking crime (count Six through Nine) it would be a mandatory consecutive term of 5 years imprisonment. For the extortion charges (Count One- 1951) it is up to 20 years imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega. Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. ###
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