SWEETWATER, Fla. – A Sweetwater Police Department detective was arrested Thursday after accumulating hundreds of SunPass violations with stolen license plates.
Octavio Oliu faces charges of organized scheme to defraud and three counts of official misconduct.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation determined that Oliu used a stolen Michigan license plate on an unmarked police vehicle to run up 530 SunPass violations.
When Florida Highway Patrol troopers recently pulled Oliu over for speeding and failure to maintain a single lane, they found several unauthorized license plates inside his car.
"The only way that officers can operate under my administration is in an ethical and legal manner," Sweetwater Mayor Jose M. Diaz said in a statement. "I will not tolerate officers who betray the badge or the citizens of the city of Sweetwater."
Oliu was released from jail on $20,000 bond Thursday. He has been placed on unpaid leave and faces up to 20 years in prison.
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