Former Miccosukee cop who made teens strip and run naked in the Everglades convicted
A former cop at the Miccosukee Police Department was convicted Thursday after forcing two teens to run naked on a secluded road in the Everglades.
Michael David 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 authorities, Martinez pulled over two 18-year-old women on Aug. 5, 2016, for running a stop sign in the Everglades. He found a small amount of marijuana in their car and told them to follow him down a hidden road, Satz said in a statement.
Martinez told the teens that they could face jail time if they did not strip naked and run down the road, according to the testimony in the case. One of the women claimed that Martinez tried to solicit a “hand job.”
Martinez’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An employee at the Miccosukee Police Department who answered a phone call from a Herald reporter on Thursday evening said the tribal police department had no comment.
The former police officer could face up to 60 years in state prison, according to Satz’s statement. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 25.
This story was originally published October 17, 2019 at 10:07 PM.
