State agency confirms investigation into former Dunwoody police officer accused of sexual harassment

The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTO) has confirmed it has opened an investigation into former Dunwoody police Lt. Fidel Espinoza, who resigned from the force in 2020 after multiple officers accused him of sending nude photos and Asking for sexual favors while having off-duty jobs.

Chris Harvey, POST’s deputy director, said Espinoza is under investigation for disorderly conduct and sexual harassment.

The case was opened on April 29th. However, Harvey said POST would not release information about the people or organizations that requested the investigation.

“All I can tell you is that we are not launching our own investigation,” Harvey said. “We investigate claims that are brought to our attention. Whether someone brings it to us a day later or years later is up to them.”

While Harvey didn’t comment specifically on the Espinoza case, he said investigators typically interview those with knowledge of the allegations and review relevant documents before forwarding their findings to a probable cause committee that examines recommendations about the allegations person will give.

“There are several things that could happen – they could recommend no action at all, they could request that this person be placed on probation, they could recommend suspension of certification, or they could revoke that person’s certification in the state of Georgia,” Harvey said.

He did not provide a timeline for Espinoza’s case, saying it could take a week or months for cases to be referred to the probable cause committee, depending on the complexity. He also said the results of an investigation could lead to further changes if necessary.

Brian Bolden, a former Dunwoody Police Department employee, confirmed May 13 that he was interviewed by POST investigators.

“Today I spent two hours with the investigators,” he said. “I have to say that it took a long time and that they are well acquainted with the case.”

Bolden, a former prisoner transportation officer with the department, was fired in 2022 after a weeks-long internal investigation into whether he violated certain department policies.

Earlier this year, Bolden was accused of violating department policies related to “public criticism” and “abuse of position” related to his actions surrounding the drunken driving arrest of former officer Robert Parsons.

The department accused Bolden of leaking information to the media about Parsons’ drunken driving arrest, his second.

Bolden is one of several former officers who accused former Lt. Fidel Espinoza of bullying and sexual harassment in 2020. Espinoza resigned in May 2020 amid an internal investigation.

The investigation found that while Espinoza sent inappropriate, sexual messages to officers and employees, he claimed he did not harass or coerce them.

Former officer Bryan Castellanos filed a lawsuit against Espinoza, claiming the lieutenant asked him for sexual favors and took a photo of Castellanos while he was using a urinal. Leila Castellanos, who is also involved in the lawsuit, claims Espinoza texted her and asked inappropriate questions about her relationship with her husband.

Espinoza claimed in an October 2023 deposition that all activity between him and Castellanos was consensual. This case is ongoing. Espinoza now lives in Florida and no longer works in law enforcement.

According to its website, POST “provides the citizens of Georgia with qualified, professionally trained, ethical and competent peace officers and criminal justice experts.”

POST operates under the state Department of Public Safety. According to Harvey, POST compiled 1,561 investigations in 2023.

The city’s first and only police chief, Billy Grogan, announced his resignation from his post earlier this year. His successor, Mike Carlson, took over the position on April 12.