ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. --
Another former Windermere police officer was arrested on Tuesday, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents said they are searching for another man who wasn't a Windermere officer, but wanted to be.
Agents said the arrest involves a bribe given to former police Chief Daniel Saylor.
It's a huge development in the ongoing Windermere scandal that just doesn't seem to end. It is one more example of how prevalent the corruption may have been inside the small police department, and it shows FDLE is taking it seriously.
Agents walked the former police officer out of FDLE headquarters and took him to jail.
Raul Carvajal, a former Windermere reserve officer, now finds himself on the wrong side of the law. He was charged with one count of bribery, one count of giving of unlawful compensation for official behavior, one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to give unlawful compensation for official behavior.
"Were you trying to bribe the chief?" WFTV reporter Jeff Deal asked Carvajal.
Walking out of FDLE headquarters in handcuffs, with his head down, Carvajal didn't want to talk about the bribery and unlawful compensation charges he's now facing.
"Were you trying to get a better job for your buddy?" Deal asked.
Carvajal did not answer.
"When you bribe a public official to get something from them, it's a crime," said Danny Banks, FDLE.
FDLE said Carvajal gave Saylor a $1,000 bribe. They said he was hoping to work his way into a full-time job and was trying to get him to hire his friend, Humberto Garcia.
Agents said that Carvajal, 40, and Garcia, 34, of Kissimmee, Fla. offered Saylor money and a trip to Puerto Rico in exchange for hiring Garcia as a reserve officer. Garcia was never hired.
The friend needed to get a job quickly before his law enforcement certification expired. Carvajal and Garcia are accused of meeting in the back parking lot at Windermere police headquarters to exchange the money.
Investigators said Carvajal then took the wad of cash to Saylor's house party and put it in Saylor's pocket.
Carvajal later told FDLE that he never asked Saylor for anything and the money was a Christmas gift for his boss.
"When you are given a public trust, in my mind it makes it even a worse crime," Banks said.
The reason Saylor has not been charged for taking the bribe is because the exchange of money took place in Seminole County, outside the office's area.
However, investigators said they will be working with Seminole County agents to try to charge Saylor.
Carvajal was booked into the Orange County jail and his bond was set at $37,000. Garcia is currently wanted on the same charges and has the same bond amount as Carvajal.
Anyone with information is requested to contact FDLE at 800-226-8521.
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