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Fmr. Deputy Accused Of Abusing Immigrants Pleads Guilty

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- A former Broward Sheriff's Deputy accused of intimidating undocumented immigrants into performing sex acts entered a guilty plea on Thursday.

The move was part of a plea deal in which Jonathan Bleiweiss, 34, got five years in prison with ten years probation.

Bleiweiss was facing a number of charges including stalking, battery, sex offenses and armed false imprisonment from cases brought on by seven victims, all men who were in the country illegally between 2008 and 2009.

The decorated deputy was arrested in 2009. Back then a mother of one of the victims said it happened to her teenage son.

"He should be punished because he was abusing of people especially minors, " said the victim's mother.

CLICK HERE to watch Joan Murray's report

If he had been convicted after his  trial, Bleiweiss would have faced life in prison.

Bleiweiss  plead guilty to armed false imprisonment,  battery and stalking.

As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped charges on the sex offenses saying they had little choice.

"A lot of the victims fell out. Once they settled their civil suit there was no cooperation for most of them. One of them showed up today," said Prosecutor Neva Smith.

Bleiweiss will also not have to register as a sex offender when he is out of prison.

"We thought it was a good deal and we took it," said Bleiwiss' lawyer, Alvin Entin.

 

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