suffolk county police chief burke

Larry H. Krantz, Mr. McPartlands lawyer, on Thursday called Mr. Hickey a delusional and paranoid alcoholic whose memories could not be trusted, saying he would show Mr. Hickeys hospital records during trial. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Two years. / CBS New York. The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, names the county, the police department and officers Shawn Petersen, Erik Pedersen, Frank Santanello, Mathew Kenneally and Glen Ritchie as defendants. He has asked for no prison time because he says his mother is dying of cancer. The 30-year-old was released from prison in January after a Suffolk judge set aside his guilty plea in the Burke theft because of perjured testimony given by cops at Burkes direction, Newsday reported. As chief of the SCPD, Burke had been involved in the Gilgo Beach investigations, and in fact, had fired Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Dominic Varrone in late 2011 just two days after Gilbert's body was found. 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In 2013, he had a contractor illegally put a GPS device on a high-ranking civilian police official he disliked, hoping to gather information that he could use for blackmail, according to the pre-sentencing letter. Thomas J. Spota, center, leaving court after being charged with obstruction of justice in 2017. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "That's basically how they put fear in [officers]. NEW YORK, NY - Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke who was sentenced for assaulting a man and trying to cover it up was released from the federal prison in Pennsylvania earlier this week, according multiple reports. This week, Mr. Spota goes on trial along with one of his top deputies, Christopher McPartland, in a case that could expose the inner workings of a law enforcement culture on Long Island plagued by longstanding accusations of corruption. I plead guilty, Your Honor, said Mr. Burke, wearing a drab khaki prison uniform. Before that, Cameron served as chief after James Burke resigned the position over his role in the assault of a handcuffed prisoner. After Mr. Burke was arrested, Judge Leonard Wexler took the unusual step of denying him bail, saying he posed a danger to the community. 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Loeb, 36, was arrested in March 2019 after police and prosecutors said he tried to run over officers, deliberately crashed into a police car and drove across lawns to get away. There were some bombshells dropped Thursday in the obstruction of justice trial of former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and his top aide Christopher McPartland, including an allegation that former chief James Burke ordered officers to spy on Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. Hell be vindicated, he said. Loeb pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland, 55, had each requested sentences that included. Questions of Burke's fitness to lead surfaced as far back as 1995, when he was found guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer for twice failing to safeguard his weapon. But, Wexler said, He also did bad if you were not on his side. In May 2013 the FBI and the US Attorney's Office opened an investigation into alleged actions by Burke when employed as Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department: the alleged assault of a suspect in police custody, a subsequent cover-up, and coercion of witnesses. One lied in court and said the attack had not happened. There is no requirement for his cooperation in other cases or to testify against anyone else. But, Wexler said, "He also did bad if you were not on his side. ", Privacy Policy |Terms of service |Subscription terms |Your ad choices |Cookie Settings |California Privacy Rights |About Us |Contact Newsday |Reprints & permissions |Advertise with Newsday |Help. Capers was seated at the prosecution table during the sentencing but did not immediately comment afterward. County officials said Chief James Burke turned in his resignation, which is. The man whose 2012 beating by Suffolk police led to prison terms for ex-Chief of Department James Burke and former District Attorney Thomas Spota alleges in a federal lawsuit that he was . Suffolk County has a custom, policy, pattern and/or practice of permitting, ratifying and acquiescing to the use of excessive force against the plaintiff because the plaintiff was a target of the defendants as a result of the plaintiff exposing corruption and the use of excessive force within the Suffolk County Police Department in a prior civil rights action against the county of Suffolk, the complaint said. Most of Thursday's testimony centered on John Oliva - a Suffolk police officer under Burke who was transferred out of an elite gang unit and wiretapped when he was suspected of leaking information to the media. In N.Y., A Fight To Reform Police Force Accused Of Being 'Rotten' - NPR ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream. Prosecutors called Burkes time as chief a reign of terror.. In a letter to a judge this week, prosecutors said "high-ranking officials'' from other county agencies helped Burke silence potential whistleblowers after he pummeled a heroin addict who had broken into his SUV and taken his gun belt, ammunition, a box of cigars and a bag containing sex toys and pornography. James Burke: Complete coverage - Newsday Mr. Spota was a longtime Republican who ran as a Democrat to win election in 2001. In terms of obstructing justice, it is hard to imagine a more serious example of this conduct than the highest-ranking uniform member of the police department assaulting a suspect and then orchestrating a cover-up of his actions for three years during which he suborned perjury and prevented witnesses from telling the truth, U.S. Attorney Robert Capers said in the letter. Feb. 26, 2016. November 3, 2016 / 6:33 PM I and others did knowingly and intentionally conspire and took affirmative steps to obstruct, including conspiring with other participants not to cooperate with the investigation, so that the grand jury and the United States Attorney's Office would not find out the true events of December 14, 2012.". He was named chief in 2012, the highest-ranking uniformed position in the department, which, like New York Citys, is led by a civilian commissioner. The federal inquiry has since expanded beyond Mr. Burke to look into a broader pattern of possible corruption in both the police department and the office of the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota. (TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. We don't know.". Prosecutors, however, have said in court papers that Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland operated in a manner more akin to criminal enterprise than a district attorneys office.. "He's been through a lot in Suffolk County.". Paying more despite good credit? Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke apologized to his victim, the judge, his family and residents of his Long Island community before being sentenced to 46 months Wednesday by a federal judge. CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) --A former Long Islandpolice chief charged withbeating a handcuffed manfor stealing embarrassing items from his department vehicle and then covering it up was sentenced to 46 months in prison Wednesday. Investigators are looking into the conduct of two of Mr. Spotas protgs Mr. Burke and the district attorneys top anticorruption prosecutor and any role they may have had in what federal prosecutors have described as a conspiracy to obstruct justice, three officials familiar with the investigation told The New York Times earlier this year. James Burke is former Police Chief in Suffolk County, New York. In 2013, he had a contractor illegally put a GPS device on a high-ranking civilian police official he disliked, hoping to gather information that he could use for blackmail, according to the presentencing letter. "You're talking about a man who is a two-time convicted felon, admitted heroin dealer, who did not make allegations that day that he was beaten up by anybody," he said. On that day I went to the 4th precinct in Suffolk County. A federal prosecutor involved in the case declined to comment Tuesday. He was brought to a precinct house and shackled to the floor. Also in the bag was a gun belt and ammo. The bodies of eight women, a man and a toddler have been found on or near Gilgo Beach since 1996. By: News 12 Staff / A former high-ranking member of the Suffolk Police Department testifying in the trial of former Suffolk District Attorney Tom Spota and his chief investigator said Wednesday he was demoted by James Burke when Burke became police chief. They said he kept liquor in his office and regularly drove drunk. Spokespeoplefor Suffolk police and the county declined to comment, saying they could not discuss pending litigation. Prosecutors will say only that the investigation has widened and that it's not over. Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department James Burke addresses Suffolk County legislators in Hauppauge on Feb. 2, 2012. Credit: Ed Betz November 18, 2015 Didn't find what you. / AP. Former police chief sentenced in beating of handcuffed man - CBS News I am proud of the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burke's crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. The Associated Press contributed to this report. He noted that more than 80 people had written letters seeking leniency and calling Burke a good man who helped many people in a 31-year career. 2016 The Associated Press. He will then have three years post-supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine. A union official falsely told several officers Burke and other high-ranking Suffolk County law enforcement authorities had obtained copies of FBI memos containing the names of people speaking with investigators. "Your abuse of power and the public's trust is appalling. . Despite the efforts of the defendant and his co-conspirators to obstruct the federal investigation, he has been brought to justice.. Most of Thursdays testimony centered on John Oliva a Suffolk police officer under Burke who was transferred out of an elite gang unit and wiretapped when he was suspected of leaking information to the media. In 2018, Suffolk County agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit brought by Loeb after the assault by Burke and other officers. As your Sheriff, I have made it my priority to protect public safety, speak up and against the grain to do what I know . They said the former police chief had concocted a cover story and never admitted to the defendants he had assaulted the man who took his bag. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. Late in the afternoon, the jury also heard from Anthony Leto, another former Suffolk police officer who admitted to assaulting suspect Christopher Loeb and covering it up with then-police chief James Burke. Detectives and sergeants have been known to earn more than $200,000 a year. Internal Affairs reports also found Burke had engaged in sexual acts in police vehicles and had a sexual relationship with "a convicted felon, known to be actively engaged in criminal conduct including the possession and sale of illegal drugs, prostitution and larceny.''. The heart and soul of the governments case rests on the credibility of one witness, Mr. Krantz said. The victim was a 13-year-old boy who died when other teenagers shoved rocks down his throat. And we are here today because no one is above the law.. Two Suffolk County criminal intelligence officers involved in the 2012 arrest of a Smithtown man convicted of taking a duffel bag out of former police chief James Burke's department-issued vehicle . "You saw what we did to him, this is what we are going to do to you.". In a statement Tuesday, the agency said that for privacy reasons the department does not discuss whether a particular inmate is or has been the subject of allegations, investigations, or sanctions for misconduct in prison.. "RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this readjustment phase. The case was notorious on Long Island. After 37 years, Suffolk County's police commissioner is retiring - WSHU Burke pleaded guilty in February 2016 to obstruction of justice and violating the civil rights of prisoner Christopher Loeb, a self-admitted heroin addict who had broken into his department-issued SUV in December 2012. Questions of Burkes fitness to lead surfaced as far back as 1995, when he twice was found to have failed to safeguard his weapon. . At that time I, along with others willfully used unreasonable force and slapped and hit this individual causing bodily injury. Mr. Spota had been a longtime mentor and friend of Mr. Burkes. Loebs attorney, Christopher Cassar of Huntington, said the alleged 2019 attack was linked to Loeb's efforts to bring Burke and other officials to justice after the 2012 assault. Their lawyers on Thursday placed the blame squarely on Mr. Burke. Thats corruption.. The opioid was taped under a shelf inside the personal locker of Burke, who was sentenced in November to 46 months in the slammer for the beatdown of a prisoner and a cover-up of the assault. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Burke . After the interrogation, Mr. Burke pressured the detectives who witnessed the assault to conceal it. Prosecutors painted a miserable picture of a man who thought he had the power to beat up Loeb in front of at least three officers, then allegedly suggest that they give Loeb, a heroin addict, a so-called "hot shot," which is a deadly mix of heroin. Former Suffolk police member testifies James Burke demoted him over All Rights Reserved. But new allegations against Burke kept coming, including one that he brazenly sent a group text to 10 other cops asking them to cover up the case, and that he somehow Burke had access to secret grand jury deliberations in the case. Mr. Burke, the former police chief, once asked to install a surveillance device on another police officials car because, according to the government, he disliked her and wanted to see whether he could dig up dirt that could be used to end her career. I feel Mr. Burke acted as a dictator, the judge said as the former chief sat stoically with his hands folded in front of his chin. Anyone can read what you share. Joseph Conway, Mr. Burkes lawyer, later told reporters that he planned to argue for a sentence of less than five years in prison for violating the suspects civil rights and conspiring to obstruct justice. When Mr. Spota heard the inquiry was resuming, he went nuts, according to a court filing from the F.B.I. Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke apologized to his victim, the judge, his family and his Long Island community before being sentenced to 46 months Wednesday. All rights reserved. At least 11 current or former police officers and detectives who had previously remained silent about the beating testified before the grand jury that indicted Burke. The Suffolk Police Department is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The police unions on Long Island are so wealthy they have formed a super PAC to flood local elections with campaign donations. James Burke Now: Long Island Serial Killer Update | Where is Ex-Police "We will seek to hold accountable anyone who violates another's civil rights or attempts to obstruct justice.". she said. "He's made mistakes. In 2012, Christopher . Compared with those in other departments, officers in the Suffolk agency are well paid, making $125,000 in base pay. Witnesses said the chief "went out of control'' after the handcuffed suspect called him a "pervert'' during an interrogation -- punching, screaming, cursing and threatening to kill him with a heroin overdose. Mr. Burke has not cooperated with prosecutors and is not expected to testify at the trial of his former colleagues. CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. The former police chief of Suffolk County pleaded guilty on Friday to federal charges stemming from accusations that he beat a suspect in custody, threatened . The co-conspirators were not identified in the letter, but prosecutors said their investigation is ongoing. Burke was officially hired by the Suffolk County Police Department in 1986 as a 21-year-old. Well fortunately today, for the first time in my life, my belief in the justice system has surfaced, because today, defendant Burke, there is law and this is order., First published on November 3, 2016 / 6:33 PM. Federal prosecutors have signaledthat charges may be looming for accomplices who helped Burke cover up the crime. All Rights Reserved. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland are also accused of requiring police witnesses to hire people from a list of lawyers who were expected to share information with Mr. Burkes legal team, prosecutors said. The new facility, also known as a "residential reentry center" is meant to "provide assistance to inmates who are nearing release," according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. He had subordinates conduct surveillance on his girlfriends, prosecutors said. The defendant violated his oath and responsibilities as a law enforcement officer by exacting personal vengeance, assaulting a handcuffed suspect and abusing his authority as the highest ranking uniformed member of the Suffolk County Police Department, Mr. Capers said in a statement. But, "If you did anything wrong in any way, he would persecute you, transfer you and ruin your career.". And from there, they said, it only got worse. and the U.S. attorneys office opened an investigation of the assault in May 2013, according to a statement released by prosecutors announcing Mr. Burkes indictment in December. All Rights Reserved. You told me my word was no good against that of a decorated police chief, said Loeb, who is serving a sentence for a parole violation. I have been fighting this corruption in Suffolk County long before Spota was prosecuted and the media began reporting on it. As a result, officers who were present for the beating or heard Burke brag about it at a Christmas party stayed quiet for years, prosecutors said. Internal Affairs reports also found Burke had engaged in sexual acts in police vehicles and had a sexual relationship with "a convicted felon, known to be actively engaged in criminal conduct including the possession and sale of illegal drugs, prostitution and larceny.". From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. He realized what he did here, and he wants to own up to it, Mr. Conway said. He stole a duffel bag inside the vehicle that included a fake penis, a stash of porn and a box of cigars, according to court papers. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burke's crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. Capers was seated at the prosecution table during the sentencing but did not immediately comment afterward. Burke became chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, one of the country's largest suburban police forces, in 2012 after having served for nearly a decade as the chief investigator for Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. It started with a duffel bag containing sex toys, cigars and a pornographic film. FBI agents arrest the former Suffolk County Chief of Police James Burkeoutside his Smithtown home on Dec. 9, 2015. Last month he was released from custody and transferred to a halfway house in New York City, Newsday reports. The coconspirators were not identified in the letter, but prosecutors said their investigation is ongoing. That is about $50,000 more than their counterparts in New York City, and it does not include overtime pay, which can be substantial, or the extra money officers receive for each year on the job. The former chief, James Burke, 51, who was known for his swaggering confidence as the leader of one of the regions largest police departments, was subdued in Federal District Court here as the charges against him were read aloud. Burkes Manhattan lawyer, John Meringolo, denied that drugs were found in Burkes locker. James Burke, Ex-Suffolk County Police Chief, Pleads Guilty He fought aggressively to expose sexual abuse by Catholic priests and was widely praised for prosecuting corrupt officials in both parties. "I feel Mr. Burke acted as a dictator," the judge said as the former chief sat stoically with his hands folded in front of his chin. Officers subpoenaed by FBI agents investigating the 2012 beating were interrogated afterward about whether they had talked, prosecutors said. Former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke to be Transferred to Pennsylvania Prison: Report, Former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke Sentenced to Federal Prison, Former Suffolk Police Chief Accused of Assault, Covering up Federal Investigation. Burke, 56, who pleaded guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges, was sentenced to 46 months in prison in 2016. When the police later arrested a heroin user with the bag, Mr. Burke walked into the station house to confront the man, who was handcuffed to the floor of an interrogation room. This story has been shared 234,419 times. He was released about 6 months early for good behavior, according to the New York Post. He was promoted to sergeant in 1991, when he was 26, and reportedly had Spota's ear. "There was a level of justice here and that even somebody as high ranking as the chief of police can't engage in that kind of misconduct and that kind of corruption and that kind of coverup and get away with it," said Loeb's lawyer, Bruce Barket. Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke resigns amid controversy November 2, 2016 / 5:48 PM The bag belonged to James Burke, the police chief in Suffolk County, and was stolen from his parked car in December 2012. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Mr. McPartland, 53, was the chief of the offices public corruption unit. When the police later arrested a heroin user with the bag, Mr.. Those efforts continued even after the F.B.I. He was appointed by Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota as the chief investigator of the Suffolk County District Attorney's . He said that one of those assignments was keeping tabs on newly elected Steve Bellone. Here is the full text of Burke's plea statement: "On December 14, 2012, I was the Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department. Federal prosecutors indicated other charges may be looming for accomplices who aided the cover-up. Prosecutors said that Burke has two brothers who can care for their mother, and that one of the brothers was already living in her home, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported. Ex-Suffolk County police chief James Burke gets 46 months in revenge That's corruption.". Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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Bellone responded in a statement: I am not surprised to learn of these additional corrupt activities as this is why I fired Jim Burke and called on Tom Spota to resign for running a criminal enterprise. N.J. Burkett has the latest details from Long Island. Former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer was stunned to have found the remains of four young women on an isolated stretch of Long Island's Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach.. In Jan. 2017 Burke, who was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison, was transferred to the low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. With time served, he'll spend 35 months behind bars. "Our investigation is ongoing," the US attorney said. During this arrest the defendants physically beat, terrorized and threatened Christopher Loeb and during this arrest the defendants encouraged, directed and/or permitted a Suffok County police dog named 'Brick'to attack the plaintiff and as result of this attack by 'Brick,'the plaintiff suffered substantial pain and serious physical injury," the lawsuit states. Christopher Loeb speaks to the media after former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and top aide Christopher McPartland were found guilty on all felony charges at federal court in Central Islip in December2019. Some were warned that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees. Burkepleaded guilty to the chargesand had asked to be sentenced to probation so he could take care of his mother, who is battling cancerand is in a wheelchair.
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