Grand Jury Indicts PGPD Officer Accused Of Extortion: Police

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A police officer who is accused of demanding cash to overlook motor vehicle violations has been indicted by a grand jury, police say.

Corp. Radames Gonzalez faces 11 charges, including extortion, false imprisonment, and misconduct in office, according to a report from the Prince George's County Police Department.

The investigation started in November 2018, when "one resident came forward alleging that he paid an officer cash during a traffic stop at the officer’s demand in lieu of receiving a citation," the report states.

PGPD Chief Hank Stawinsky launched an investigation and suspended Gonzalez's police powers. During the investigation, a second person came forward, and police believe both stops happened in Temple Hills, the report states.

"If proven true, the community must know that this department will not tolerate any officer, regardless of rank, betraying the trust of our residents and abusing their police powers," Stawinski said in a statement. "Each of us swears an oath which grants us both extraordinary authority and extraordinary responsibility. I expect all officers to conduct themselves with integrity commensurate to that oath and in the overwhelming majority of cases they do. A small number fail to do so, and there are consequences."

Gonzalez is a 13-year veteran with the department and served as a patrol officer. The felony charges means that Gonzalez will be moved from suspended with pay to suspended without pay, the report states.

Police ask anyone who may have had a similar experience with Gonzalez to contact them.