On Thursday morning, during opening statements, prosecutors laid out their case that Mr. Spota and his deputy directed a cover-up to protect Mr. Burke, pressuring potential witnesses not to cooperate with the federal investigation into the assault. That's corruption.". In a pre-sentencing letter to Wexler, prosecutors said "high-ranking officials" from other county agencies helped Burke silence potential whistleblowers after he pummeled a heroin addict who had taken his gun belt, ammunition, a box of cigars and a bag containing sex toys and pornography. "RRCs provide a safe, structured, supervised environment, as well as employment counseling, job placement, financial management assistance, and other programs and services," the website reads. It started with a duffel bag containing sex toys, cigars and a pornographic film. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream. Wexler noted more than 80 people wrote letters seeking leniency, calling Burke a good man who helped many people in a 31-year career. 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. Mr. Spota, 78, served for more than 15 years as the top prosecutor in Suffolk County, on the eastern end of Long Island. Unnamed co-conspirators had warned some that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees, prosecutors said. Capers was seated at the prosecution table during the sentencing but did not immediately comment afterward. a training of 6 months at the academy, candidates have to go through 18 months as their probationary periods. 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.. on Trial, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/nyregion/thomas-spota-corruption-trial.html. He has sued Burke and the Police Department, seeking damages. Outside the courthouse, Robert Trotta, a legislator and former police detective, said he was happy with the sentence. A few months after the 2012 assault, the man caught with the duffel bag, Christopher Loeb, told investigators that Mr. Burke had beaten him, prompting a federal civil rights investigation. All Rights Reserved. In the 2012 incident that led to his downfall, Burke was exacting revenge on a man who broke into his SUV that year. Loeb was charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and other charges and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in April 2019. Welcome to the official website of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. Internal Affairs reports also found Burke had engaged in sexual acts in police vehicles and had a sexual relationship with a convicted felon. "You saw what we did to him, this is what we are going to do to you.". "I think that it's the beginning of the end of corruption. "He's made mistakes. He had subordinates conduct surveillance on his girlfriends, prosecutors said. 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. 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. 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 point, prosecutors said, Mr. Burke went out of control, screaming and cursing at Loeb and assaulting him until a detective finally said, Boss, thats enough, thats enough.. Burke, 56, who pleaded guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges, was sentenced to 46 months in prison in 2016. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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. His full sentences was scheduled to be completed in April 2019. "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 coverup of his actions for three years during which he suborned perjury and prevented witnesses from telling the truth,'' U.S. Attorney Ronald Capers said in the letter. Burkes Manhattan lawyer, John Meringolo, denied that drugs were found in Burkes locker. 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. "James Burke, Ex-Suffolk County Police Chief, Pleads Guilty", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Burke_(police_officer)&oldid=1116850381, This page was last edited on 18 October 2022, at 17:26. Mr. Burke not only survived that incident but also thrived. The new Suffolk police commissioner, Tim Sini, is a former assistant United States attorney from the Southern District of New York, and he has hired a former federal corruption investigator, John Barry, to review the departments internal affairs files. 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.. He was released from prison this year after receiving a 46-month sentence. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland have pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts, including witness tampering and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burke's crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. Mr. Burke has not cooperated with prosecutors and is not expected to testify at the trial of his former colleagues. Loeb pleaded guilty to reckless driving in April, according to a spokeswoman for Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney. ), First published on November 2, 2016 / 5:48 PM. A police helicopter located him crouching under a tree and a police dog retrieved him, according to prosecutors. Those efforts continued even after the F.B.I. A commanding officer was assigned to warn witnesses that they could face retribution if they cooperated. Inside the courtroom, his victim, Christopher Loeb,locked eyes with Burke and said, "You abused your power, and I will never again feel safe living in Suffolk County," 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported. 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. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, beating a man who broke into his police cruiser in 2012 and then trying to hide the alleged assault. Mr. Loeb responded to the thrashing by calling Mr. Burke a pervert and mocking him for the pornography he found in his car, according to federal prosecutors. Paying more despite good credit? During the assault, Loeb was handcuffed and chained to an eyebolt fastened to the floor at the Fourth Precinct. One officer told a federal agent that if that were true, "I'm a dead man,'' the letter said. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Last month he was released from custody and transferred to a halfway house in New York City, Newsday reports. 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. The local police department had long faced allegations of coerced confessions and abuses of power, and critics raised concerns about the cozy relationship between the police and local prosecutors. We are honored to serve and protect the residents of Suffolk County. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Central Islip federal Judge Leonard Wexler trashed Burke as a dictator during sentencing, when the ex-lawman apologized to Loeb. Federal prosecutors said in a pre-sentencing memorandum that the fallen top cops cover-up scheme included the recruiting of high-ranking officials from other county agencies to assist him in the obstruction and to give teeth to his threats.. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burke's crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. Robert L. Capers, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the investigation was continuing and would seek out those who might have been involved in wrongdoing. 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. He had subordinates conduct surveillance on his girlfriends, prosecutors said. 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 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 Ronald Capers said in the letter. Feb. 26, 2016. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The FBI in Pennsylvania is investigating the source of the oxycodone, sources said. Despite the efforts of the defendant and his co-conspirators to obstruct the federal investigation, he has been brought to justice.. Copyright 2023 Newsday. One officer told a federal agent that if that were true, "I'm a dead man," the letter said. November 3, 2016 / 6:33 PM SCPD members who witnessed the assault came under direct and extreme pressure from the defendants and others to conceal it, prosecutors said. County officials said Chief James Burke turned in his resignation, which is. Burke became chief of the Suffolk County Police Department in 2012 after having served for nearly a decade as the chief investigator for Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. Burke also has been tied to the unsolved Gilgo Beach murders on Long Island by a lawyer to one of the victims and a prostitute who claimed the former chief took part in sex parties.. At that time I, along with others willfully used unreasonable force and slapped and hit this individual causing bodily injury. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burkes crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. November 2, 2016 / 5:48 PM "He's been through a lot in Suffolk County.". Anyone can read what you share. 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. The Suffolk Police Department is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). "If you were with Burke, he treated you like gold, and you got tons of overtime," Trotta said. And we are here today because no one is above the law.. He was released about 6 months early for good behavior, according to the New York Post. Hollywood writers going on strike over fair pay in streaming era, Missing teens likely among 7 people found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say, Fish contaminated with "forever chemicals" found in nearly every state, Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" singer, dies at 84, CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue, At least 6 dead after dust storm causes massive pile-up on Illinois highway, Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids, U.S. tracking high-altitude balloon first spotted off Hawaii, Bob Lee died from three stab wounds, medical examiner says, Missing teens may be among 7 found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say, Arkansas woman indicted for selling stolen body parts to Pennsylvania man, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, DNA solves "decades-old mystery" after woman's remains found in 1995. 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. He fought aggressively to expose sexual abuse by Catholic priests and was widely praised for prosecuting corrupt officials in both parties. "Our investigation is ongoing," the US attorney said. I plead guilty, Your Honor, said Mr. Burke, wearing a drab khaki prison uniform. The defense accused the government of turning Mr. Burkes longtime friendship with Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland into a crime, saying the conversations that the three men had during the federal investigation did not rise to the level of obstruction of justice. At that time, I entered a room with others and encountered an individual who had been arrested earlier that morning on suspicion of burglarizing motor vehicles, including my own vehicle. Then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke speaks with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone after a news conference in Hauppauge on March 19, 2014. Credit: Ed Betz By Tania Lopez tania.lopez . That accusation is a baseless and damnable lie, Mr. Spotas lawyer, Alan M. Vinegrad, said in his opening statement. Robert Trotta, a retired Suffolk County Police detective and now a local legislator, has proposed changes meant to professionalize the department and take out some of the politics. Leto told jurors that Burke had a number of "unorthodox assignments" for him and other officers in the criminal intelligence unit, including tailing the stepson of Burke's girlfriend to see if he broke any laws. Here is the full text of Burke's plea statement: "On December 14, 2012, I was the Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department. When Mr. Spota heard the inquiry was resuming, he went nuts, according to a court filing from the F.B.I. That's corruption.''. After Mr. Burke was arrested, Judge Leonard Wexler took the unusual step of denying him bail, saying he posed a danger to the community. The case is a rare instance in which a district attorney is the one on trial. He was appointed by Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota as the chief investigator of the Suffolk County District Attorney's . 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 to kill him and then coerced his fellow officers into covering up the misconduct. N.J. Burkett has the latest details from Long Island. He has asked for no prison time because he says his mother is dying of cancer. Their relationship began four decades ago in an unusual way: As a teenager, Mr. Burke testified as a witness in a homicide trial in which Mr. Spota was the prosecutor. 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. Both men started serving their prisonsentences early this year. 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. Before being named chief in 2012, he worked as an investigator for the Suffolk County district attorney. In Jan. 2017 Burke, who was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison, was transferred to the low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Burke is expected to be sentenced to 51 months in prison, according to a plea deal with the US Attorney. They said, 'If you guys don't toe the line and keep lying, we are going to 'Oliva' you," said Oliva. Burke, 52, who was Suffolk's highest-ranking uniformed cop for four years until he resigned in late 2015, was segregated from other prisoners after the drug was discovered recently, sources. 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 physically beat, terrorized and threatened by officers during a 2019 arrest. The charges against Mr. Burke stemmed from an episode in December 2012 when Christopher Loeb, a heroin addict who financed his $100-a-day habit by breaking into cars, was arrested on suspicion of stealing a duffel bag stuffed with cigars, pornographic DVDs and sex toys from Mr. Burkes police car. He was convicted of assaulting a man in 2012 during an interrogation and obstructing a federal investigation. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. Mr. Spota was a longtime Republican who ran as a Democrat to win election in 2001. In 2012, Christopher . Before that, Cameron served as chief after James Burke resigned the position over his role in the assault of a handcuffed prisoner. "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. He realized what he did here, and he wants to own up to it, Mr. Conway said. We don't know.". 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. Since the federal inquiry into Mr. Burkes actions began some three years ago, investigators have expanded their inquiries and are now examining the workings of the Police Department and the district attorneys office. The incident began in Ridge, Suffolk prosecutors said in 2019, after Loeb nearly ran over a woman walking her dog while driving in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. A Bag of Sex Toys, an Alleged Cover-Up and an Ex-D.A. 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. But they were wrong. "We will seek to hold accountable anyone who violates another's civil rights or attempts to obstruct justice.". "He's doing much better these days," Cassar said. "And somebody has to say, 'obviously we're not doing that,' right?" Before the sentencing, ex-Suffolk County police Chief James Burke apologized to police, the judge, the victim and the people of the community. At a court hearing after Mr. Burkes arrest, a federal prosecutor, James Miskiewicz, described a pattern of abuse, including the use of a contractor for the district attorneys office to install a GPS device on a deputy police commissioners car. 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. The series centers on the scandal-ridden former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, who infamously kicked the FBI off the case soon after he stepped into the position in 2012.. 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. The bodies of eight women, a man and a toddler have been found on or near Gilgo Beach since 1996. "RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this readjustment phase. Hes very remorseful.. 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. After 37 years, Suffolk County's police commissioner is retiring CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. -- A suburban New York police chief who orchestrated a department cover-up after beating a handcuffed man for stealing embarrassing items from his SUV has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Some were warned that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees. With some 2,700 sworn officers and over 600 civilian members, the department is one of the largest in the region. He was promoted to sergeant in 1991, when he was 26, and reportedly had Spota's ear. The maximum possible sentence for the civil rights charge is 10 years in prison; for the obstruction charge, it is 20 years. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, sentenced in November to 46 months in the slammer, claimed the former chief took part in sex parties.. "The charges [from the 2019 incident]were dropped because they were not based in true facts," Cassar said. James Burke was formerly the police chief of the Suffolk County Police Department and previously served in the rank of Inspector as the commanding officer of the police department's Organized Crime Bureau. The ex-police chief pleaded guilty last winter in the beating and cover-up. Loeb pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. The once popular and swaggering chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, James Burke, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison on Wednesday for a series of misdeeds that. 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. My client denies all allegations. Prosecutors said the woman grabbed her dog and dived on a neighbors lawn to avoid getting hit. In a 2013 court hearing, Mr. Loeb testified that when he asked for a lawyer, one detective told him, This isnt Law & Order; youre not going to get an attorney.. James Burke is former Police Chief in Suffolk County, New York. 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. 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. I find the corruption of an entire department by this defendant is shocking, Judge Wexler said in December. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Loeb drove across lawns to evade police, and motorists told police that he drove atmore than 100 mphon Patchogue-Mount Sinai Road, sometimes on the wrong side of the road, until he stopped at a gas station in Islandia and ran into the woods. Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. 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. 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.''. He was released last summer. 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. 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. Thomas J. Spota, center, leaving court after being charged with obstruction of justice in 2017. 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. Also in the bag was a gun belt and ammo. 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. "My client is going to do his time like a man, and he's going to come out and be a productive member of society," Burke's attorney, John Meringolo, told reporters, including CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office. 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. All rights reserved. The next day, he resigned as the Suffolk County district attorney. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Prosecutors called Burke's time as chief a "reign of terror.''. 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. He was brought to a precinct house and shackled to the floor. A federal prosecutor involved in the case declined to comment Tuesday. The heart and soul of the governments case rests on the credibility of one witness, Mr. Krantz said. This accreditation signifies a compliance with higher standards of practice and enforcement of policies that are focused on community-based policing, a commitment to excellence and resource management, and sound training practices.
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