The city of Hialeah’s former police chief has been arrested on charges of money laundering, organized fraud and first degree grand theft.
Sergio Velazquez, 61, was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Monday following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
His charges stem from alleged discrepancies in the city’s petty cash account and money seized during criminal investigations.
READ MORE: Hialeah joins Coral Gables in deputizing police officers for immigration enforcement
"Law enforcement officers are held to a higher standard of degree and character. They expect to uphold the trust that the public is placed in them. In this case, it revealed that Velasquez himself violated the trust integrity expected of him as the police chief," said John Beck, special agent in charge, speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
Authorities believe that between May and October 2021, Velazquez diverted around $560,000 from these funds to his personal bank accounts. He allegedly made cash deposits under the amount of $10,000 at a time, which, investigators say, is a pattern indicative of criminal activity.
Velazquez served as Hialeah’s police chief for nearly 10 years before former Mayor Esteban Bovo removed him from the post in 2021.
