A Prince George’s County, Maryland, police officer accused of telling drivers to pay him cash or receive a ticket has been indicted.
Cpl. Radames Gonzalez, 49, has been indicted by a grand jury for extortion, misconduct in office, and other charges.
“What we believe is that Officer Gonzalez abused his power and authority by extorting money from individuals who were picked up on routine traffic stops,” Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy told NBC Washington.
Gonzalez is accused of demanding money from two drivers in separate stops in Temple Hills in 2018 on Oct. 8 and Oct. 17. Those drivers notified police the following month.
Gonzalez’s police powers were suspended on Nov. 9, 2018. Prince George’s County police said in a statement Tuesday that in light of the indictment, his suspension has been moved from with pay to without pay.
In a statement in 2018, Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said, “It is very early in this investigation, but I wanted to assure our community that immediate action was taken and thorough investigation is underway. I take these allegations very seriously. Maintaining the public trust is the highest priority.”
Stawinski said in a statement Tuesday that the department will not tolerate officers’ abuse of their powers. He said he expects all officers to conduct themselves with integrity and, in the overwhelming majority of cases, they do.
“A small number fail to do so, and there are consequences,” he said.
Gonzalez has been with Prince George’s County police for 13 years and was assigned to the Bureau of Patrol. He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Oct. 11.
