Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Miguel A. Exposito, Chief, City of Miami Police Department, announce the filing of a Criminal Information charging Charley Braynen, 50, of Miami Gardens, Florida, with two counts of extortion under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a).

Braynen was an officer with the City of Miami Police Department from 1996 through 2010. Count 1 of the Information alleges that on or about February 26, 2010, Braynen authored a false police report in exchange for a payment of goods. Count 2 further alleges that between July 1and July 15, 2010, Braynen accepted goods for his personal benefit for protecting what he believed to be a stolen property.

Braynen made an initial appearance in court this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Edwin C. Torres and was released on a $200,000 bond. The case is assigned to United States District Court Judge Marcia Cooke.

If convicted, Braynen faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts charged in the Information.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the City of Miami Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Edenfield.

An Information is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.