Hialeah Police Department Officer Raul Castellon was arrested on Friday, March 17, 2017, on corruption and identify fraud charges.
Raul Castellon, 38, of the Hialeah Police Department, was charged by indictment with affecting commerce by extortion under color of official right, among other charges.
According to the allegations contained in the indictment, as an officer for the Hialeah Police Department and as part of his regular duties, Castellon had access to Florida’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database (“DAVID”). DAVID is a confidential database that provides law enforcement officers with the driver and motor vehicle information of other persons, including personal identifying information, such as drivers’ license numbers, social security numbers, and dates of birth.
The indictment further alleges that from on or about June 1, 2016, and continuing through on or about October 19, 2016, Castellon used his law enforcement access to DAVID to log into the system, search for other persons, and take screen shots of other persons’ personal identifying information. The indictment also claims that Castellon sent over 25 of these DAVID screen shots to his codefendant Neilin Gonzalez Diaz in exchange for gifts.
