Florida Police Chief Sentenced to Three Years

Federal records show that one victim, identified only as “C.D.”, was wrongfully arrested in January 2013 by Officer Guillermo Ravelo under Atesiano’s direction. Ravelo falsely charged C.D. with burglary, despite having no probable cause, as part of the chief’s plan to artificially inflate the department’s success rate.

Investigators later revealed that the arrest was one of several used to bolster the department’s fraudulent 100% burglary clearance record. C.D. was used by the department as a statistical pawn, with officers relying on boilerplate language in affidavits stating that “investigation revealed” his involvement—language later proven to be fabricated.

C.D. has not spoken publicly, but federal filings show he was among the first to be falsely accused in the conspiracy.

📌 Victim Profile #1: “E.B.” — Arrested on Falsified Charges Without Legal Basis, Another victim, referred to as “E.B.”, was arrested in February 2014 under similar circumstances. Court filings describe how Ravelo intentionally falsified arrest reports, creating charges out of thin air to align with Atesiano’s demands.

According to the Department of Justice, E.B. was charged with burglary even though there was **no physical evidence, no witnesses, and no legitimate investigative findings** linking him to any crime

E.B.’s charges were eventually dismissed, but the wrongful arrest disrupted his life, leaving behind emotional and financial burdens as he fought to clear his name.

📌 Victim Profile #2: “T.D.” — A 16‑Year‑Old Coerced Into a False Narrative , One of the youngest victims, “T.D.”, was just 16 years old when Officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez falsely arrested him in June 2013 for four unsolved burglaries. These arrests were directly orchestrated by Chief Atesiano to produce a perfect clearance rate.

Prosecutors later recognized that all four arrest affidavits against T.D. used nearly identical vague language—evidence that they were **template-style fabrications**, not actual investigative conclusions.

Although the charges were eventually dropped, the arrest of a minor on multiple felony counts left T.D. traumatized and stigmatized within his community.

📌 Victim Profile #3: Leonardo Raudez — Wrongfully Accused and Prosecuted , In a federal civil lawsuit, Leonardo Raudez accused Atesiano and Officer Guillermo Ravelo of wrongfully arresting him as part of the same conspiracy to inflate clearance statistics. Raudez alleged malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, and violations of his constitutional rights after being charged with burglary on fabricated grounds

Court filings show Raudez’s arrest aligned with Atesiano’s broader strategy:

* Arrest individuals with prior records

* Create evidence after the fact

* Attribute multiple unsolved crimes to a single suspect to make the department appear highly effective

Though his lawsuit faced procedural hurdles, Raudez’s claims add another layer to the pattern of abuse.

📌 Victim Profile #4: Erasmus Bannah — Targeted Because He Was “Convenient” , According to reporting cited in federal lawsuits, Erasmus Bannah was another victim targeted because he was “easy to pin” with prior encounters with law enforcement. Bannah’s attorney explained that Atesiano specifically ordered his officers to go after Black men with prior records, regardless of evidence.

Bannah’s experience underscores the **racialized targeting** that fueled the department’s fraudulent operations.

A Systemic Abuse of Power with a Common Pattern

Across all victim accounts, several patterns emerge:

Victims were overwhelmingly Black, aligning with internal findings that Atesiano directed officers to focus on Black residents specifically.

Arrests were based on fabricated evidence or coerced confessions, with no physical proof or credible investigative findings.

Minors and vulnerable adults were disproportionately targeted, including a 16‑year‑old and a man later deported due to false charges.

Officers acted under direct orders, confirming a top‑down culture of corruption within the department.

These expanded profiles further illustrate the breadth of harm inflicted by Atesiano’s leadership and the lasting damage borne by innocent victims.