Jose Acosta—a former rookie police officer with the Miami Police Department— pleaded guilty to 10 counts of burglary, 10 counts of false imprisonment, eight counts of grand theft and two counts of petit theft and was sentenced to six years in prison. That term could be reduced to three years with good behavior.

Miami police said Acosta stole thousands of dollars in money and items from motorists during a one-year stretch from the time he was hired until he was fired in 2017, according to the Miami Herald .

Acosta reportedly stopped vehicles, searched the drivers and their cars for cash, and then let the subjects go without issuing a citation.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said, "Jose Acosta was a corrupt opportunist who used his police uniform as a weapon to steal from people he knew would never contact law enforcement," the Herald reported.