A former police chief in Florida has been sentenced to three years in prison because his police department framed black men for crimes that they did not commit, according to the Miami Herald.
Raimundo Atesiano, the former police chief of Biscayne Park, previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and told a judge on Tuesday that he felt pressured by community leaders to solve crimes in the village.
{mosads}“When I took the job, I was not prepared,” Atesiano told U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore, according to the Herald. “I made some very, very bad decisions.”
Atesiano faced up to 10 years in prison for charging three black men with crimes despite not having evidence they committed the crimes. He resigned from his post as police chief in 2014.
Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez said that Atesiano “damaged lives” with his conduct, the Herald reported.
“He created a culture of corruption that has further eroded public trust in the criminal justice system,” Martinez said.
Three other officers also pleaded guilty in the case.
Officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez pleaded guilty over the summer to falsifying arrest affidavits for a teenager who was black, accusing him of being responsible for break-ins that occurred in 2013.
In addition, Guillermo Ravelo previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for falsifying arrest warrants for two black men at the direction of Atesiano.