Dominican Republic National Guilty Of Conspiring With Corrupt Cops

News Americas, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Mon. Nov. 10, 2014: A 43-year-old Dominican Republic national has pleaded guilty to conspiring with corrupt police officers to commit a July 2012 robbery of a home in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Fernando Reyes-Rojas, who lives in Puerto Rico, late last week pleaded guilty to violations of robbery, civil rights, narcotics, and firearms laws.

Reyes-Rojas is the sixth defendant convicted in connection with the July 2012 robbery.  Reyes-Rojas’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2015.

According to court documents, Reyes-Rojas, agreed with at least three corrupt Police of Puerto Rico (POPR) officers and others to participate in a home robbery to steal money and narcotics.

On July 14, 2012, Reyes-Rojas joined the corrupt police officers and others in robbing a house in Bayamon.  The men entered the house, identified themselves as police, and falsely claimed they were executing a search warrant.  After searching the property and the people who were present, they stole money and cocaine.  Reyes-Rojas sold the cocaine and paid the officers for their role in the robbery.

The corrupt police officers and a second civilian previously pleaded guilty for their participation in the July 2012 robbery.  On Oct. 7, 2014, Jorge Fernandez-Aviles, 49, a POPR sergeant, pled guilty to robbery and firearms charges. On Oct. 3, 2014, David Figueroa, a civilian, pled guilty to robbery and civil rights charges.  Alexander Mir-Hernandez, 40, a POPR officer, also pleaded guilty to one count of false statements for lying to federal agents about his role in the July 2012 robbery and to a civil rights crime for an unrelated December 2013 robbery.  Sentencing for all three is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2015.

Pedro Lopez-Torres, 35, and Luis Ramos-Figueroa, 38, both POPR officers, were each charged by information on June 25, 2014, for their roles in the July 2012 robbery and other crimes.  Lopez- Torres and Ramos-Figueroa pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge José A. Fusté the same day.