A Philadelphia police officer is accused of robbing and assaulting 15 people at a North Philly business.
Officer Luis Miranda, 40, is charged with robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, unlawful use of a computer, computer theft, possession with intent to deliver and other related offenses.
Miranda along with Gregorio Esquilin, 56, and his son Juan Luis Esquilin, 32, allegedly conspired to rob several people who were gambling at a business along the 4200 block of Rising Sun Avenue.
On Dec. 17, 2017, the three suspects robbed, threatened or assaulted 15 people at the business, according to investigators. Miranda is also accused of being involved in drug activity and misusing police resources for criminal purposes.
“The same day we became aware of these findings, Miranda was immediately removed from street duties as our Internal Affairs Division conducted an investigation," Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. "Subsequently, the findings of that investigation were turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for review."
Miranda was suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss at the end of the 30 days.
"It is more obvious than ever that police officers have to repair community trust in order to effectively do their jobs," Outlaw said. "For that to begin, we must prove that we determined to identify and remove bad actors from within our ranks."
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Gregorio and Juan Luis Esquilin are both charged with robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and other related offenses.
“Crimes by police are more likely to occur where there is a vacuum of accountability,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. “Police officers hold a position of trust, and the criminal legal system has always considered abuse of a position of trust as an extremely serious offense. I am pleased to see that Police Commissioner Outlaw and the DAO are jointly headed in a more constructive direction."
