A Miami police officer was on Thursday arrested and slapped with several charges after he was allegedly caught stealing cash and drugs from suspects during traffic stops.
Miami Police Department Officer Frenel Cenat, 40, was arrested following an undercover operation by FBI agents who posed as drug dealers that Cenat allegedly attempted to extort, according to the Justice Department.
A federal criminal complaint was filed charging Cenat with attempted extortion under color of official right, theft of government funds, and attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to the criminal complaint, during the first traffic stop on November 3, Cenat pulled over a driver he believed was transporting drugs but was actually an undercover agent posing as a drug trafficker.
Cenat identified himself as “Officer Martez” of the “Miami PD – Dade County Narcotics Unit,” and told the driver that he had been investigating him, and then gave the driver the option of giving Cenat the backpack filled with $52,000 in $100 bills or going to jail. Cenat then took the bag of money, let the driver leave, and met up with the individual who told him about the deal, giving him $13,000 and keeping the other $39,000.
Later that month, on Nov. 16, officers conducted a second sting. Once again, Cenat pretended to have been investigating the driver and gave him the option to either give Cenat money and drugs or risk going to prison, according to the complaint.
“Cenat then took the duffle bag containing $80,000 in $100 bills and 7 kilograms of fake cocaine and allowed the driver to leave. When Cenat arrived at the location arranged for the split of the proceeds, he was arrested, and the 7 kilogram-shaped packages and a large quantity of $100 bills were found in his official MPD vehicle,” court documents said.
He’s set to face a Fort Lauderdale federal judge on November 28.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, among others.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corrupt officials,” stated Lapointe.
“We will continue to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials, to include law enforcement officers, that breach the public’s trust by carrying out criminal acts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the invaluable assistance provided by FBI, DEA, and City of Miami Police Department in this matter.”
