A former cop at the Miccosukee Police Department was convicted on October 17 after forcing two teenagers to run naked on a secluded road in the Everglades. One of the teens was a girl, we are not sure the sex of the other.
Michael Martinez, 30, was found guilty of two counts of extortion and two counts of unlawful compensation, which are all felonies, according to Broward State Attorney Mike Satz.
According to NBC Miami, on Aug. 5, 2016 Martinez pulled over two 18-year-olds for running a stop sign in the Everglades near the Miccosukee Reservation on Alligator Alley. Martinez found alcohol and a small amount of marijuana in their car and told them to follow him down a hidden road.
Martinez told the teens that they could face jail time if they did not strip naked and run down the road. One of the women claimed that Martinez tried to solicit a “hand job.” The teens said they felt intimated and threatened, so they complied with Martinez’s commands.
Martinez faces up to 60 years in state prison; his sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 25.