Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 1 of 9TB

May 19, 2016

U NITED STA T ES D ISTR IC T C O U R T

SO UTH ER N D ISTR ICT O F FLO R IDA

16-20361-CR-LENARD/GOODMAN
CA SE NO .
18U.S.C.5371
18U.S.C.j666(a)(1)(B)
18U.S.C.j666(a)(2)
UN ITED ST ATES O F A M E RIC A
V S.

LAZA RO PO N CE,
D efendant.
/
IN FO R M A TIO N

The U nited States Attorney chargesthat:

G EN ER AL A LLEG A TIO N S

Atalltim es relevantto this lnform ation'

.
T he Public A gency

The M iam i Dade Police Departm ent (M DPD) is an organization and agency
w ithin M iam i D ade County, a m tm icipal governm ent located w ithin the Southern District of

Florida,thathasreeeived federalbenefstsin exeessof$10,000 within a one-yearperiod undera

Federalprogram involving a grant,contract,subsidy,and otherform of Federalassistance.
The Public O fficial

Lazaro Ponce w as em ployed by the M D PD asa police ofticer.

The M iam iD ade County O perator System
W hen a traftic atx ident occurs w ithin M iam i D ade County, inoperable vehieles

are generally m oved from the scene ofthataccidentby privately ow ned tow tnlck com panies.
W hen a vehicle is disabled because of an accident,the driver m ust call a tow

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 2 of 9

com pany him self, have his insurance com pany arrange a tow , or ask the responding police

ofticerorpublicserviceaide(-PSA'')toarrangeatow.
5.

M iam iD ade County has established a rotationalw recker operator system . lf an

oflicerorpublic service aide is asked to arrange a tow ,M D PD regulationsrequire the responding

unitto contactpolice dispatch,who w illin turn notify the authorized rotationalw reckercom pany
ofthe accident.

In orderto becom e an authorized rotational wrecker,the w recker com pany m ust

entera contract with the MDPD (hereinafker,wrecker agreemenf') W hen the authorized
rotational w recker com pany m akes a tow pursuant to the w recker agreem ent, that wrecker

com pany isrequired to pay a fee to M D PD foreach resulting tow .

Becatlse M iam iD ade Cotlnty has a rotationalwrecker system ,Florida State Law
prohibitsany tlnatlthorized tow tnlck driverfrom soliciting businessfrom the driverofa disabled
vehicle befbre the authorized w reckerhas arrived atthataccidentscene in M DPD 'SJ
'urisdiction.
Tow truck operators thatattem ptto circum ventthe rotationalw reckersystem and illegally solicit
businessataccidentscenesare known in the tow industry as tpirates.''
The T ow Truck O perators

SubjectA operated a'tcompanyA''tow truck.

Roberto D om inguez ow ned and operated a kcom pany B''tow truck.
10.

N either Com pany A , nor Com pany B, w as an authorized rotational wrecker

withinthejurisdictionofM iamiDadeCounty.

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 3 of 9

C O U NT I
C onspiracy

(18U.S.C.5371)
Paragraphs 1 through l0 of the General A llegations of this lnfbnuation are
re-alleged and incorporated as though fully setforth herein.

Between January 1,20l4,and Decem ber31,2()14,in M iam i-lladeCotmty,in the

Southern D istrictofFlorida,and elsewhere,the defendant,
LA ZA RO PO N C E,

didknowingly and willfully combine,conspire,contkderate,and agree with SubjectA,Robert

D olninguez,and otherpersons knowm and unknown to the United States A ttorney,to com m itan
offknse againstthe U nited States,thatis:

(a)to corruptly solicitand delnand forthe benefitofany person,acceptand agree to

accept anything of value fiom any person,intending to be intluenced and rew arded,
as an agentofa State and localorganization,governm ent,and any agency thereof,in
connection with any business, transaction, and series of transactions involving any

thing ofvalue of $5,000 or more,within a one year period thatsaid organization,

governm ent,and agency has received more than $10,000 under a Federalprogram,
involving a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other form of

Federalassistance,in violationofTitle18,United StatesCode,Section 666(a)(1)(B)'

,
(b)tocorruptly give,offer,andagreetogiveanythingofvalueto any person,withintent
to influence and rew ard an agent of an organization, State governm ent, and local
governm ent, and any agency thereof, in connection w ith any business,transaction,

and series of transad ions of such organization, governm ent, and agency involving

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 4 of 9

anything ofvalue of$5,000 ormore,within a one yearperiod thatsaid organization,

govenzm ent,and agency has received more than $10,000 under a Federalprogram ,
involving a grant, contract. subsidy. loan, guarantee, insurance, or other form of

Federalassistance,in violationofTitle18,trnitedStatesCode,Section666(a)(2).
O BJEC T O F TH E C O N SPIM CY

ltwas the objectofthe conspiracy thatthe defendantand hisco-conspiratorsutilizea

corruptbribery and kickback schem e to unlaw fully enrich them selves.
M A NN ER AN D M EAN S

The m annerand m eans by which defendantand hisco-conspiratorssoughtto accom plish

theobjectoftheconspiracy included,butwerenotlimitedto,thefollowing:
SubjectA,Roberto Dominguez,and otherpersonsknown and unknown to the
U nited States A ttorney would operate tow trucks that serviced traffsc accidents within the

jurisdiction oftheM DPD.

SubjectA,Roberto Dominguez,and otherpersonsknown and unknown to the
U nited States A ttorney w ould circum ventthe rotationalw recker system by arriving at accident

sceneswithin thejurisdiction ofthe M DPD and then soliciting stranded drivers to have their
disabled vehicles towed to certain garages thatw ould secretly pay kickbacks for the delivery of
dam aged vehicles.

SubjectA,Roberto Dominguez,otherpersonsknown and tlnknowntotheUnited

States A ttorney w ould deliver,and cause to be delivered,cash to M D PD Ofticer Lazaro Ponce

in exchange forL azaro Ponce using his ofticialposition to steer business tow ards,orotherw ise
assist,tow tnlck operators w ith soliciting business from stranded m otorists.

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 5 of 9

A s a M D PD police oftscer, Lazaro Ponce w ould have access to com puter

databases and com m unications identifying accident locations and other infonzlation related to

thoseaccidentswithin thejurisdiction ofthe MDPD. OflscerPoncewould also bepresentat

accidentscenes,eitherasthe prim ary M D PD officerresponsible for investigating and processing

theaccident,orasasecondary M DPD ofticerassisting theprimary officerorPSA.

In exchange for cash, Lazaro Ponce would permit Subject A, Roberto

Dom inguez,and otherotherpersons know n and unknown to the U nited States Attorney to solicit
business and tow vehicles from M D PD accident scenes w here Lazaro Ponce was present.
partofthe schem e,Lazaro Ponce w ould also use his position to access and provide inform ation

aboutaccidentlocationsand detailsregarding accidentsto SubjectA,Roberto Dominguez,and

otherpersonsknow n and unknow n to the U nited StatesA ttonaey.

Lazaro Ponce,SubjectA,Roberto Dominguez and other persons known and

unknow n to the U nited States Attorney w ould take steps to conceal their participation in the
bribery and kickback schem e. For exam ple,Lazaro Ponce w ould m ake inaecurate statem ents
in accidentreportsregarding the disposition ofthe tow ed vehicles.
O VER T A CTS

lnfkrtheranceofthisconspiracy andin orderto accomplish itsobject,atleastoneofthe

co-conspirators com m itted atleastone ofthe tbllow ing overtacts,am ong others,in M iam i-Dade
County,in the Southena DistrictofFlorida:

1. OnoraboutApril25,2014,SubjectA and RobertoDominguezgaveaFB1

contidentialsource a M D PD encrypted radio issued to Lazaro Ponce.

2. OnoraboutJune 17,2014,Lazaro PoncepermittedRobertoDominguezandSubject

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 6 of 9

A access to an accident scene located in the vicinity of S.W . 70th A venue and 22nd Street,
M iam iD ade County,Florida.

3. On November9,2014,Lazaro PoncepermittedRobertoDominguezandSubjectA
to each tow a vehicle fiom a trafX c accidentin the vicinity of S.W . 82ndA venue and S.W .2401
Street,M iam iD ade County,Florida.
A l1in violation ofTitle 18,U nited StatesC ode,Section 37l.

tk w* o r )

W IFR - O A .FERRER
U TED S ATES ATTO RN EY
z

k z. A

AN

HO N Y W .LA CO ST
SISTAN T UN ITED A TES TTORN EY

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document
1 Entered
Docket
05/19/2016 Page 7 of 9
SO UTHERN
DISTRICTon
OFFLSD
FLORI
DA
UNITED STATES OF AM ERICA

CASE NO.

C ERTIFICATE O F TRIAL ATTO RNEY*

LAZARO PONCE,
Defendant.

CourtDivision'
.(selectOne)
X

Mi
am i -

FTu

Superseding Case Inform ation:

New Defendantts)
N

Ke W est
w

)B

FTp

um berofNew Defendants
Totalnum berofcounts

Yes

No

Ido herebycertify that:

Ihavecarefullyconsidered the allegations gfthe indictmqnt,the numberofdefendants,the numberof

Probable witnesses and the legalcomplexlties ofthe Indlctm ent/lnformati
on attached hereto.

Iam aware thatth information supplied oq this jtqtem eqtwillbe relied upon by the Judges ofthis
Courtin setting thelrcaljndars and schedullng crlmlnaltrlals underthe mandate ofthe SpeedyTrial

Act,Title 28 U.S.C.Sectlon 3161.

Iqterpreter:

No

(YesqrNo)

LIstIanguage and/ordlalect
This case willtake

daysforthe parties to try.

Please check appropriate category and type ofoffense Iisted below:

(Checkonl
yone)

(Checkonlyone)

0 to 5 days
6 to 10 days
11to 20 days
21to 60 days
61days and over

6.

lfyes:
Judge:

Petty
M inor
Mi
sdem .

Felony

N -

Hasthi
scase been previouslyfil
ed inthisDistrictCourt? (YesorNo) No
Case No.

(Attachcopyt)fdispositive?rdeq)
HasacomplalntbeenfiledInthlsmatter?

(YesorNo)

Ifyej:
Maglstrate Case No.
Related M i
scqllaneous num bers:

Defendantts)lnfederalcustodyasof
Defendantls)instatecustodyasof
Rule 20 from the

Istrl
cto

Isthisapotentialdeath penal
tycase? (YesorNo)

No

Dpes this case originate from a matterpending in the Northern Region ofthe U.S.Attorney's Offi
ce

prlorto October14,2003?
8.

Yes

No

Dges this case originate from a matterpending in the CentralRegion ofthe U.S.Attorney's Offi
ce
prlorto Septem ber1,2007:
2

Yes

No

AN HO Y . OSTA
ASSISTANT
ED STATES ATTORNEY
CO URT NO . 00698
'Penalt.ySheetts)attached

REV 4/8/08

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 8 of 9

UN ITED STA TES D ISTR ICT C O U R T

SO U TH ER N DISTR IC T O F FLO R IDA
PEN A LTY SHEET
D efendant's Nam e:LAZ AR O PO N CE
Count#:l

Conspiracy to Comm itan Offense againstthe United States

Title l8.United StatesCodesSection 371
* M ax.penalty:

5 yearsconfinem ent

Counts#:

* M ax-penalty:

Count#:

* M ax-penalty:

Count#:

* M ax-penalty:

WR efersonly to possible term ofincarceration,does notinclude possible fines,restitution,

specialassessm ents,parole term s,or forfeitures thatm ay be applicable.

Case 1:16-cr-20361-JAL Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2016 Page 9 of 9

AO 455(Rev.01/09)WaiverofanIndictment

U NITED STATES D ISTRICT C OURT

forthe
Southern DistrictofFlorida

United StatesofAm crica

M.

CaseNo.

LAZARO PO NC E

W AIVER OF AN INDICTM ENT

1understand thatlhavebeen accused ofone ormoreoffensespunishableby imprisonm entformorethan one
year. lwasadvised inopencourtofmy rightsand thenatureoftheproposed chargesagainstme.
Afterreceiving thisadvice,1waivemy righttoprosecution by indictm entand consenttoprosecution by
infonnation.

Date:

Signatureofdefendant'st
z//t
prz?cp