Today, the Justice Department announced that a grand jury in
the Southern District of Florida charged Miami Dade Police Department (MDPD)
Detective William Kostopoulos, 47, with using his law enforcement authority to
violate motorists’ civil rights.
The indictment charges Kostopoulos with making traffic stops
of three motorists in order to steal their money and property, in violation of
the motorists’ rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to be
free from unreasonable seizures of their property. The indictment also charges Kostopoulos with
making misleading statements in order to prevent the communication of
information about his alleged crimes to federal law enforcement officers.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Homestead, Florida, Police
Department. The matter is being
prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Gerard Hogan and Trial Attorney
Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney
Tonya Long of the Southern District of Florida.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct,
not evidence of guilt. The defendant is
presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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