Miami Springs Police Department (MSPD) Sergeant Andres Quintanilla arrested today on a corruption charge.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

Andres Quintanilla, 33, of Miami Springs Police Department, was charged by complaint with attempting to affect commerce by extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a), punishable by up to twenty years in prison.

According to the allegations contained in the complaint, in September 2014, an FBI confidential source (CS) informed Quintanilla that he (the CS) was a drug trafficker. Rather than arrest the CS, or open an investigation, Quintanilla offered to help the CS’s drug trafficking business. During a series of recorded meetings, Quintanilla allegedly offered advice on how the CS should run his drug trafficking business, provided the location of an unmarked Miami Dade Police Department narcotics office, provided the names of three Miami Dade Police Department officers, and promised to provide photographs of officers in the future. In addition, Quintanilla ran the name of a purported drug dealer in a law enforcement database when asked to do so by CS.

By December 2014, Quintanilla had agreed to act as an escort during a purported 10 kilogram cocaine deal. Under FBI direction, the CS told Quintanilla that the CS needed a safe location in Miami Springs where the CS could exchange 10 kilograms of cocaine for $250,000. Quintanilla chose a location for the transaction to take place and, on the date of the transaction, the FBI filmed and recorded Quintanilla meeting with the CS and viewing the cocaine. After the purported deal took place with a second undercover CS acting as a drug dealer, Quintanilla then followed the CS’s vehicle to an express package service center, where Quintanilla believed that the CS would ship the $250,000 of drug proceeds to New York. Quintanilla participated in the transaction in uniform, while driving his MSPD marked vehicle. In exchange for his assistance, Quintanilla accepted $3,500 in bribe payments.

The complaint further alleges that in April 2015, FBI agents approached Quintanilla at his residence to discuss his involvement in the trafficking of narcotics. During the interview, Quintanilla admitted receiving bribes in return for assisting the CHS’s drug trafficking business.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and the Miami Springs Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Lacosta.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.