Mon Jun 02 23:10:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
Former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velázquez was arrested on Monday on charges of money laundering, organized fraud, and first-degree grand theft. The arrest stems from an investigation into missing funds during his tenure between 2015 and 2021. Investigators discovered that millions of dollars in “petty cash” meant for narcotics investigations, as well as funds from civil forfeitures, were unaccounted for. A significant amount of money was allegedly deposited into accounts controlled by Velázquez in amounts under $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a $30,000 bond. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is holding a press conference with FDLE Special Agent John Vecchio to release details.
**News Article:**
**Former Hialeah Police Chief Arrested on Multiple Felony Charges**
**HIALEAH, Fla. –** Former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velázquez was arrested Monday morning on charges of money laundering, organized fraud, and first-degree grand theft, announced the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. Velázquez, 61, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bail set at $30,000.
The arrest follows an investigation into missing funds during Velázquez’s tenure as police chief, a position he held from 2012 until being relieved of duty in 2021. According to an arrest warrant, the Hialeah Police Department was unable to account for approximately $2.6 million in “petty cash” designated for narcotics investigations conducted by the Special Investigations Section (SIS) between 2015 and 2021. Investigators found that while over $2.8 million was drawn in “petty cash” checks to fund HPD-SIS investigations, only around $209,000 was documented as legitimate expenses.
Furthermore, authorities allege that another $1 million in funds from civil forfeitures awarded by courts between 2016 and 2021 was never turned over to the HPD property unit. The warrant states that this money was instead “stored in a safe within Velázquez’s administrative suite awaiting the completion of forfeiture proceedings.”
The investigation also revealed that significant cash deposits, totaling over $293,000, were made into bank accounts controlled by Velázquez during the same period. These deposits were allegedly structured in amounts under $10,000 to evade currency reporting requirements. Approximately $265,000 of these funds were reportedly used to pay credit card bills and other debts.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, along with Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge John Vecchio, are scheduled to provide further details regarding Velázquez’s arrest at a 2 p.m. press conference. Velázquez remains in custody at TGK as of Monday afternoon.
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