Latest news with #SergioVelazquez
Miami Herald
16-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Ex-Hialeah chief asks to dismiss public corruption case, says due process violated
Hialeah's former police chief says Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who took him into custody two weeks ago used unnecessary force and were overly aggressive with his wife. According to a motion to dismiss the charges filed in court last week, agents forced Sergio Velazquez's wife up against a police vehicle and ordered her to sit in a chair on the front lawn close to the road as they searched her home. The nine-page complaint filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court says the former chief should have had an opportunity to turn himself in. Instead, the motion says, more than a dozen agents followed Velazquez in his car as he and his wife drove from their home. The couple were then stopped at a busy Miami Lakes intersection by agents who had their weapons drawn. 'It was a full-blown takedown/showdown at a Miami Lakes intersection,' the motion says. 'Brandishing pistols and rifles pointed at him.' READ MORE: Ex-Hialeah police chief busted for stealing almost $600k from city coffers, state says The motion also says investigators unlocked a safe in Velazquez's home and 'stole' a gold Cuban coin, a gold wristwatch and religious books, and that Velazquez's wife was told to unlock the home or they'd break the door down. And, it says, they took screenshots on his wife's phone against her wishes. Velazquez, 61, bonded out of jail after spending a night behind bars. He argues his Fifth and 14th amendment rights to due process were violated and that the charges should be dropped. The way agents arrested Velazquez 'was unnecessary, abusive and dangerous,' his attorney Rick Diaz said. 'There will not be a plea in this case. We're prepared to go to trial.' Velazquez has denied the charges. A spokesman with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office refused to comment on the motion. Probe took three years and 100 subpoenas During a press conference at the State Attorney's Office two weeks ago, prosecutors said it took investigators from the FDLE three years and more than 100 subpoenas to uncover an elaborate scheme in which Velazquez stuffed safes in his office with petty cash he'd requested from the city's finance department. The money — which was intended mostly for undercover drug stings — was then transferred to personal bank accounts that Velazquez also controlled, they said. Investigators said they were able to identify as much as $600,000 that Velazquez stole in just an eight-month period from May through early November 2021, when he was relieved of duty by the new mayor. During that time frame, investigators say Velazquez made 62 deposits totaling $140,000 into bank accounts he controlled. Each of the deposits was under $10,000, enabling the former chief to skirt questions on the money's origins. Investigators believe the thefts could go back to 2013 and said there may be additional charges. Also mostly unaccounted for — Velazquez's arrest warrant says — is $1 million from court-awarded civil forfeitures and 147 checks totaling $3.2 million that was meant primarily for drug operations. Investigators say the former chief made some elaborate purchases during that time frame that included Rolex watches and goods from Versace and Gucci, though they haven't directly linked those purchases to stolen money. History of scandal This isn't the first time Velazquez has been rocked by scandal. Named chief in 2012, Velazquez climbed the ranks despite a string of disciplinary actions against him as a patrol officer. Some accusations led to an 18-month FDLE investigation over 'a pattern of criminal misconduct' that was eventually dropped for lack of evidence. In one instance he was investigated for dating a woman he met at the police station, who was hauled in for driving under the influence. Another time, he was alleged to have torched the vehicle of a man whose former girlfriend was dating Velazquez. He was also heavily criticized for the way he dealt with Jesus Menocal Jr., a former Hialeah police sergeant who was sent to prison for three years in 2022 after pleading guilty to using his badge to force women into having sex with him. Years before Menocal's guilty plea, Velazquez left him patrolling, despite complaints of sexual assaults from four women, one a minor.
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez pleads not guilty to fraud, grand theft charges
One day after being arrested for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds, former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez appeared in court where he entered a plea of not guilty. Velazquez, 62, is charged with structuring, grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud. During a hearing Tuesday morning, Velazquez's attorney entered the plea on his client's behalf and requested a trial by jury. Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glazer, who found probable cause for the charges, set bond at $30 thousand. An official arraignment will take place in 21 days. Velazquez served as police chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021. Police chief's alleged spending spree His arrest followed a complaint from the current police chief, who discovered discrepancies involving seized funds and petty cash stored in the department's safe, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which conducted an investigation. FDLE agents allege that between 2015 and 2021, Velazquez made more than 900 cash deposits across multiple personal bank accounts, all under $10,000, amounts structured to avoid federal reporting requirements. The funds allegedly came from sources intended for confidential police operations and court-ordered forfeitures. The FDLE's probe revealed that during the final five months of Velazquez's tenure—from May to October 2021—about $560,000 in department funds were unaccounted for. Financial records reviewed in the investigation show Velazquez made over $300,000 in purchases from Rolex, along with additional luxury expenditures including $11,000 at Cartier, $6,700 at Louis Vuitton and $5,000 at Versace.
CBS News
02-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Ex-Hialeah police chief Sergio Velazquez arrested in alleged theft of public funds spent on Rolex, Cartier, authorities say
A former Hialeah police chief was arrested Monday following an investigation into allegations that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds, officials said. Alleged misuse of police funds and financial structuring Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Sergio Velazquez, 62, who served as chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021, is charged with structuring, grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud. She called the case "shocking," citing the breach of public trust by someone in such a high-ranking position. Velazquez was arrested as he left his home Monday morning. At the time of his suspension by newly elected Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo in November 2021, Velazquez was earning $211,000 annually, making him the city's second-highest-paid employee. Investigation details reveal cash deposits and luxury purchases John Vecchio, Special Agent in Charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Miami Regional Operations Center, said the arrest followed a complaint from the current police chief, who discovered discrepancies involving seized funds and petty cash stored in the department's safe. FDLE agents allege that between 2015 and 2021, Velazquez made more than 900 cash deposits across multiple personal bank accounts, all under $10,000, amounts structured to avoid federal reporting requirements. The funds allegedly came from sources intended for confidential police operations and court-ordered forfeitures. Financial records reviewed in the investigation show Velazquez made over $300,000 in purchases from Rolex, along with additional luxury expenditures including $11,000 at Cartier, $6,700 at Louis Vuitton, and $5,000 at Versace. Officials noted that all suspicious cash deposit activity ceased following Velazquez's suspension in late 2021. Over $500,000 missing during five-month span The FDLE's probe revealed that during the final five months of Velazquez's tenure—from May to October 2021—about $560,000 in department funds were unaccounted for. Investigators identified 62 cash deposits during that time, all under the $10,000 threshold. Vecchio said the case involved more than 4,500 hours of investigative work, including subpoenaing financial records, conducting interviews, and executing search warrants.
