A City of Miami police officer, 40-year-old Frenel Cenat from Boynton Beach, is now facing federal charges for allegedly abusing his authority.
The charges stem from accusations that he orchestrated traffic stops, confiscated cash and imitation cocaine, and then shared the proceeds with a partner.
The federal charges were officially lodged against Cenat on Friday. According to the criminal complaint, Cenat collaborated with an individual whom he believed was involved in drug trafficking.
Cenat purportedly agreed to use his unmarked vehicle issued by the Miami Police Department and his position as a police officer to pull over a vehicle driven by an undercover agent posing as a drug trafficker.
Cenat was under the impression that the driver was transporting a significant amount of drug money.
On November 3, he claimed to be “Officer Martez of the Miami PD Narcotics Unit” and, under the threat of arrest, demanded a backpack containing $52,000 in $100 bills from a driver.
After taking the money, he released the driver and later shared the ill-gotten gains with an informant, keeping $39,000 for himself.
In another staged traffic stop in Deerfield Beach on Thursday, Cenat identified himself as “Officer Martez of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office – Narcotics Unit.”
He feigned an investigation on the driver, who turned out to be an undercover agent transporting 7 kilograms of fake cocaine and $80,000.
Cenat confiscated the duffle bag, allowed the driver to depart, and was apprehended when he arrived at a pre-arranged location to divide the money.
Inside his official MPD vehicle, authorities discovered packages resembling 7 kilograms of cocaine and a significant amount of $100 bills.
Cenat is now facing multiple charges, including attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
