A Prince George’s County police officer faces one count of misconduct in office for revealing confidential information in exchange for sex acts two years ago, the police department announced.
Cpl. Ivan Mendez is accused of providing confidential information about an ongoing police investigation to a commercial sex worker whom Mendez paid for sex acts in 2018, interim police Chief Hector Velez said during a news conference Tuesday announcing the indictment.
Mendez was suspended in April 2019. Police said Mendez joined the department in 2009.
Maj. James McCreary, commander of the department’s internal affairs division, said the investigation is ongoing and that the information Mendez provided to the sex worker did not lead to the harm of any individual.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said in a statement that her office was taking this case “very seriously” and that it has “a zero-tolerance policy for corruption by public officials who unlawfully violate the public trust.”
“That is why I created a stand-alone public integrity unit to prosecute these types of cases to the fullest extent of the law,” Braveboy said. “Corruption of any kind will not be tolerated in Prince George’s County.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct the year the officer was suspended.
