Fired Greenville police officer lied about rape investigation, according to dismissal letter

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A former Greenville police officer accused of producing child pornography lied about a previous rape investigation, according to his dismissal letter.

The SBI on Tuesday charged Dominic Olivares, of Angier, with two counts of first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and three counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Court records show the charges were filed in Pitt County, and the offenses date back to 2019.

Arrest warrants say Olivares used a 16-year-old girl to create videos with her engaged in sexual activity.

The 30-year-old Olivares was hired as a police officer in Greenville in May 2020. A spokeswoman says he was fired on August 5, 2021, two months after the SBI was brought in to investigate a complaint the department received about Olivares.

Police say they understand his arrest stems from their referral to the SBI in 2021.

According to the former officer’s dismissal letter, obtained today by WITN, Olivares lied about being accused of a 2017 rape.

The letter says twice in pre-employment questionnaires, Olivares said he had never been questioned by police as a possible suspect for any kind of criminal investigation.

The document says, in fact, Fuquay-Varina police had interviewed Olivares and served him with a search warrant. Police say Olivares was never charged in that case, and that’s why it didn’t come up in his background check.

The letter also says Olivares lied several other times on questionnaires, saying no one had ever taken out a warrant on him, and when the last time someone had called the police because of him.

Greenville police told Olivares he violated several departmental policies, and listed fraud or theft, falsification of official city records, and willful violation of known or written work rules as reasons for his firing.

Olivares, who posted bond, is scheduled for a first appearance tomorrow before a Pitt County judge.