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Luis Velez (MUGSHOT courtesy Hillsdale PD)
Detectives arrested Luis Velez, who already receives a per diem salary from the borough, after receiving a tip and talking with victims who paid him a combined $560 the past two months, Hillsdale Police Chief Chip Stalter said. He’s charged with theft.
Stalter said Velez “would sometimes represent himself as an attorney or someone holding an influential position within the Municipal Court when he dealt with Spanish speakers,” Stalter said.
At least one time Velez “led a Spanish-speaking defendant to believe that he could reduce impending penalties or fines in exchange for a direct cash payment,” the chief said. Another time, he “led a Spanish speaker in need of translation services to believe that he was supposed to be compensated directly by the defendant. In that instance, Velez negotiated with the defendant who directly paid him in cash.”
Velez was released without bail and has an upcoming appearance in Central Municipal Court in Hackensack. Meanwhile, Hillsdale police are contacting their counterparts in other departments to see whether others might have been duped, as well.
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