SWEETWATER, Fla. (AP) — A police detective faces felony charges for using stolen license plates to avoid tolls on Florida's Turnpike.
Sweetwater police detective Octavio Oliu surrendered Thursday, more than a year after he was suspended from the tiny, scandal-ridden department in Miami-Dade County.
Oliu's attorney C. Michael Cornerly told the Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/1EU04Ed) his client will fight the allegations.
Sweetwater Mayor Jose Diaz said 42-year-old Oliu had been on unpaid leave. He says he won't tolerate officers who betray the badge.
The investigation began in August 2013 when a highway patrol trooper stopped Oliu's SUV. The trooper ran a computer check of the Michigan license plate and found it had been reported stolen.
Oliu is accused of racking up over 500 SunPass toll violations and red-light camera citations.
He's charged with official misconduct and organized scheme to defraud.
