A former Hialeah police sergeant accused of taking advantage of and forcing sex acts on women in his custody has been released from federal detention on good behavior.
Jesus Menocal Jr. had turned himself in 2022 to begin serving a three-year sentence after he pleaded guilty in federal court to three misdemeanor counts of violating the civil right of unreasonable search and seizures.
But court records showed Menocal was released to a halfway house to start his probation on April 12, 2024, "due to good behavior and credits in prison."
The court filing said Menocal wants to become a productive member of society, and be a father to his two kids.
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Records showed that in April, his attorney filed a motion asking a judge to allow Menocal to possess firearms for job purposes. His family's company, Menocal Training, provides firearm training but he's not allowed to have firearms due to the guilty plea.
The judge denied the motion to allow him to use firearms.
Menocal had been facing a long list of possible outcomes for allegedly forcing different sexual acts on three women he held in custody in 2014 and 2015.
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The allegations emerged in 2015 but the Hialeah Police Department chose not to pursue charges after an investigation. Menocal was later given a raise and a promotion to sergeant.
Miami-Dade prosecutors also decided not to pursue charges against Menocal, calling it a “challenging” case without corroborating evidence.
He was eventually arrested by the FBI in 2019.
Under his plea deal, Menocal avoided other allegations such as kidnapping, which could have led to life in prison. He also agreed to give up his law enforcement license.
