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Fmr. Sweetwater Detective Arrested On Fraud Charge

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SWEETWATER (CBSMiami) -- A former Sweetwater detective is on the other side of the law after being arrested on a fraud charge.

Octavio Oliu, 42, was arrested and booked into jail on Thursday morning just before 11:00 a.m.

Sweetwater Police said Oliu "used a stolen Michigan license plate on an unmarked police vehicle and accumulated more than 530 Sun Pass violations."

Florida Highway Patrol had pulled over Oliu for speeding and failure to maintain a single lane.

When authorities searched through Olius vehicle, they said they discovered a number of unauthorized license plates.

He is charged with organized scheme to defraud and three counts of official misconduct.

Police said as a consequence of this arrest, Oliu has been placed on unpaid leave.

In 2013, Oliu was the target of an investigation after there was a slew of complaints against the Sweetwater Police Department ranging from brutality to theft.

Oliu was also the subject of a civil suit which alleged he and auxiliary officer Richard Brenner arrested a special needs teacher in front of his students outside their jurisdiction because the man wrote a threatening message about cops online. 

In the complaint filed against the City of Sweetwater, the officers were accused of false arrest, false imprisonment and violating civil rights. 

Brenner was fired from the department for failure to meet "probationary standards." 

The administration was also investigating  a secret property room only a select few people knew about, including Oliu and Brenner.

The warehouse was filled with uncatalogued property and evidence from open criminal cases which is  a violation of law enforcement procedure.

Oliu's bond for Thursday's arrest is set at $20,000. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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