HIALEAH, Fla. — Newly released body camera video shows the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Priority Response Team conducting a traffic stop with their guns drawn.
They were pulling over former Hialeah Police Department Chief Sergio Velazquez.
The 61-year-old was placed in handcuffs and confronted by a deputy.
He is accused of lavish spending on the city of Hialeah’s dime.
According to prosecutors, the money was spent on brand-name items from Rolex, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Versace.
In total, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Velazquez spent $635,000.
After he left the department, officials found more than $2.6 million unaccounted for.
Documents reveal an alleged scheme that started with cash, money meant for Hialeah’s undercover drug busts and money the city received in drug forfeitures.
Investigators say it wound up in the chief’s office safe before hitting his bank accounts for personal spending. Now he is facing serious felony charges.
Velazquez is facing charges, including organized fraud and theft he is due back in court in August.
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