MIAMI — Miami-Dade Police Employee Officer Emil Lugo has been charged with felony fraud for stealing the county fuel. He hs allegedly been stealing the gas for months.
He was arrested after undercover cameras caught him in the act. (Video below)
A statement released by the State Attorney’s Office reads in part, “This investigation arose from concerns that Sergeant Lugo was improperly using his Miami-Dade County access during the period from January 2015 through March 2015.
Not only was Sergeant Lugo fueling his vehicle at a fuel station rarely used by police officers, (the 7900 SW 107 Avenue site was primarily utilized by the Solid Waste Department) but the computer records tracing the amounts of fuel consumed appeared to exceed the miles driven.”
From WSVN: Video from March 8 shows Lugo and his cruiser at his home. After briefly going inside, he is seen returning with the red container and filling up a black BMW parked in his driveway. According to police, the vehicle is registered to his wife. Ferraris were also on his property, police said.
Over the span of several months, Lugo was caught committing the crime at several county sites and his home. “It is a shame that a veteran police officer would go out of his way to steal from Miami-Dade County just to save a few dollars on gasoline,” commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “A police officer, who would sell his good name and his integrity just to put gas into his wife’s car, tarnishes the reputation of every good officer on the force. I applaud the actions of the Miami-Dade Police Department to investigate and correct this theft problem.”
Lugo was arrested Friday and has since posted his $10,000 bond. He has since been relieved of duty with pay but will soon be converted to without pay, according to police.
