Former City of Miami Police Sergeant Sentenced on Civil Rights Violations, Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy, and Obstruction of Justice Charges

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Manuel Orosa, Chief, City of Miami Police Department (MPD), announced the March 22, 2013 sentencing of defendant Raul Iglesias, 40, of Miami, Florida, a former City of Miami police sergeant, following his January 2013 conviction on eight counts, including two civil rights violations, conspiracy to possess and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, obstruction of justice, and making false official statements. U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga sentenced Iglesias to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Iglesias was convicted in January 2013, following a two-week trial. According to the evidence presented at trial, Iglesias, in his capacity as a supervisor of an anti-narcotics unit in the City of Miami Police Department, planted cocaine on a subject, stole drugs and money from other subjects, obstructed justice, and made false statements to federal investigators.

The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit and the FBI’s Public Corruption Squad. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ricardo Del Toro and Michael Berger.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.