HISD officer charged in towing scheme

Richard Cano, 46, was charged with extortion. Richard Cano, 46, was charged with extortion. Photo: HISD Photo: HISD Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close HISD officer charged in towing scheme 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Houston Independent School District police officer has been arrested on a charge that he profited from having vehicles towed, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Richard Cano, 46, of Katy was charged with extortion, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.

Cano is accused of stopping people on public streets and ordering their vehicles towed without further law enforcement action. The charging document claims Cano would later meet the tow truck driver and split the fee.

The patrol officer, who has worked for the HISD Police Department for 18 years, was relieved of duty pending further action, HISD spokesman Jason Spencer said Wednesday.

He was arrested Tuesday and made an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday morning. Bond was set at $50,000. If convicted, Cano would face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

"If proven true, the allegations in this case constitute a breach of the public trust that we take seriously," HISD Police Chief Jimmy Dotson said in a statement.

"While we condemn this sort of alleged activity, the actions of one police officer in no way reflect on the character and professionalism of the 200 law enforcement officers in the HISD police department."

erin.mulvaney@chron.com