MIAMI (WSVN) - Prosecutors have dropped charges against a Miami police officer after it was determined that his arrest was the result of a case that had been resolved nearly five years ago.
Officer Guillermo Arteaga, 35, was cited by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on April 21, 2020, for illegally dumping trash near Pembroke Road. The citation offered him the option to pay a fine or appear in court.
According to Robert Buschel, Arteaga’s attorney, he appeared in court in November 2020 and paid the $25 fine on May 4, 2021.
Despite having paid the fine, the State Attorney’s Office filed the same charge in May 2023, citing a COVID-19-related extension of filing deadlines, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to the memo.
He was arrested on Tuesday and briefly booked into the Broward County Jail.
“This was an inexcusable prosecutorial error that should never have happened,” said Buschel in a statement. “Officer Arteaga resolved this matter years ago by paying a $25.00 fine. To arrest him again on the same charge, particularly after the statute of limitations expired, is a colossal breakdown in the system.”
The State Attorney’s Office said the defense contacted prosecutors on Thursday, and prosecutors filed a nolle prosequi Friday morning, formally dismissing the case.
Prosecutors apologized to Arteaga and extended an invitation from State Attorney Harold Pryor to meet in person.
In a statement, Felix Del Rosario, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the arrest underscores the need for strong legal representation for officers.
Arteaga called the incident a “nightmare scenario” and said he was relieved that the matter had been corrected.
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