MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida police officer has pleaded guilty to his role in an identity theft scheme that involved a confidential law enforcement driver's license database. Court documents show 38-year-old Raul Castellon of the Hialeah Police Department pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges including extortion using his official police powers, aggravated identity theft and access device fraud conspiracy.
He faces a maximum of 37 years in prison at sentencing in July.
Castellon admitted in court documents using Florida's Driver and Vehicle Information Database in 2016 to access identities of at least 25 people. Those identities were passed to co-conspirators who used them to buy goods with credit cards that were later sold for cash.
The documents show that in return Castellon received gifts such as clothes, shoes and an Apple iPad.