suffolk county police chief burke

We don't know.". RIVERHEAD, Long Island (WABC) -- The former chief of the Suffolk County Police Department pleaded guilty to charges of deprivation of civil rights and obstruction of justice Friday morning. 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.. All Rights Reserved. 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. "'We'll cover up the beating for you but, hot shot? N.J. Burkett has the latest details from Long Island. Burke.). Burke, 54, of St. James, was charged in 2015 with assaulting Smithtown resident Christopher Loeb who was arrested for stealing a duffel bags with items from Burke's SCPD-issued SUV as well as other police vehicles in 2012. They said he kept liquor in his office and regularly drove drunk. Prosecutors said Burke also abused his authority by entering Loeb's residence as police searched for evidence, retrieving his canvas bag and other articles and jeopardizing a larceny investigation that victimized many other civilians "solely to retrieve embarrassing articles." In what has been called an "unusual move," he was then criminally prosecuted by Spota and McPartland. 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.". In 2013, he had a contractor illegally put a GPS device on a high-ranking civilian police official he disliked, hoping to gather blackmail information, prosecutors said. 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. This story has been shared 234,419 times. 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 . The police unions on Long Island are so wealthy they have formed a super PAC to flood local elections with campaign donations. Credit: Barry Sloan. During the same meeting, Mr. Spota, Mr. McPartland and Mr. Burke discussed who was a rat and directed a police officer to remind other officers what happened to people who go against the administration.. 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. All Rights Reserved. The assault prompted a federal criminal investigation that lasted more than four years and eventually led to the resignation not only of the police chief but also of the longtime Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota, who was accused of trying to cover it up. 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. Before the sentencing, ex-Suffolk County police Chief James Burke apologized to police, the judge, the victim and the people of the community. SCPD members who witnessed the assault came under direct and extreme pressure from the defendants and others to conceal it, prosecutors said. Former Suffolk County, New York, Police Chief James Burke was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in federal prison after covering up the revenge beating of a man who stole a duffel bag. And we are here today because no one is above the law.. 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. Officers subpoenaed by FBI agents investigating the 2012 beating were brought in and interrogated about whether they had talked, prosecutors said. Mr. Burke not only survived that incident but also thrived. Credit: James Carbone, Michael O'Keeffe covers Suffolk County police and other Long Island law enforcement agencies. Internal Affairs reports also found Burke had engaged in sexual acts in police vehicles and had a sexual relationship with a convicted felon. 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. The man beaten by former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke has filed a second lawsuit stemming from a second incident where he alleges police again used excessive force. But before we delve into that, we should mention his long career in law enforcement. They said he kept liquor in his office and regularly drove drunk. Capers was seated at the prosecution table during the sentencing but did not immediately comment afterward. Welcome to the official website of Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. "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. He also forfeited the Jeep. 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. "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. That's corruption.''. 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. 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. Burke's mentor, Spotawas sentenced to serve five years in prison in August 2021 after a jury found him and McPartlandguilty in December 2019 of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy for their role in the cover-up. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. Those efforts continued even after the F.B.I. For a few minutes, prosecutors said, Mr. Burke assaulted the suspect, screaming and threatening to kill him until a detective in the room finally said, Boss, thats enough.. "That's basically how they put fear in [officers]. 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. Burke, 56, who pleaded guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges, was sentenced to 46 months in prison in 2016. Anyone can read what you share. Burke and others within the department maneuvered in a backroom plot to sabotage . To prove Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland were guilty of obstruction, according to the defense, the government must show the two men knew they were asking others to lie. The case was notorious on Long Island. 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 . 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.. 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.''. I plead guilty, Your Honor, said Mr. Burke, wearing a drab khaki prison uniform. All rights reserved. "And somebody has to say, 'obviously we're not doing that,' right?" 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. One officer told a federal agent he was a dead man, if that were true, the letter said. He will then have three years post-supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine. "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. "Your abuse of power and the public's trust is appalling. / AP. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland, 55, had each requested sentences that included. Inside new mortgage fee rules, Retaining wall collapses in the Bronx due to severe weather. But they were wrong. 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. As your Sheriff, I have made it my priority to protect public safety, speak up and against the grain to do what I know . The victim, Christopher Loeb, addressed Burke in court. Also in the bag was a gun belt and ammo. 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. 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. Federal prosecutors have signaledthat charges may be looming for accomplices who helped Burke cover up the crime. Burke, 52, who was Suffolks 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 told the paper. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland have pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts, including witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Prison officials found oxycodone a controlled substance prescribed for pain management in former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burkes cell at the low-security federal lockup in Allenwood, Pa., sources told Newsday. In what has been called an "unusual move," he was then criminally prosecuted by Spota and McPartland. 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. 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. Loeb pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. Mr. Spota and Mr. Burke have been close for decades, and the district attorney helped Mr. Burke secure his job as the top officer for much of Long Island, despite a sometimes checkered history. The ex-police chief pleaded guilty last winter in the beating and cover-up. Drugs were found in the prison cell of a disgraced former Long Island police chief serving time for beating up a man who stole a stash of porn and a sex toy from his official police vehicle and covering it up, according to a report. Loeb said at the time he required the walker due to dog bites sustained during his arrest. He was released about 6 months early for good behavior, according to the New York Post. Prosecutors called Burkes time as chief a reign of terror.. Wexler noted more than 80 people wrote letters seeking leniency, calling Burke a good man who helped many people in a 31-year career. The Suffolk Police Department is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Prosecutors will say only that the investigation has widened and that it's not over. He was appointed by Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota as the chief investigator of the Suffolk County District Attorney's . When the police later arrested a heroin user with the bag, Mr.. We are honored to serve and protect the residents of Suffolk County. Inside new mortgage fee rules, Retaining wall collapses in the Bronx due to severe weather. James Burke is former Police Chief in Suffolk County, New York. In Jan. 2017 Burke, who was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison, was transferred to the low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Both men started serving their prisonsentences early this year. "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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ", Burke will be able to leave the facility only through a sign-out procedure for "approved activities.". 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. Chief Burke grabbed me by my cheeks and hit me on the top of my head, Mr. Loeb testified during his 2013 trial, during which he was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison. Leto testified that the spying was under the guise of providing him security. Copyright 2023 by The Associated Press. 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. Burke pleaded guilty to the charges and served time in prison. Former Suffolk Chief of Department James Burke pleaded guilty in 2016 to violating Loebs civil rights after admitting that he assaulted Loeb in a police precinct in 2012 and orchestrated a departmental cover-up of the beating. When Mr. Spota heard the inquiry was resuming, he went nuts, according to a court filing from the F.B.I. 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. But, Wexler said, He also did bad if you were not on his side. Burke is expected to be sentenced to 51 months in prison, according to a plea deal with the US Attorney. I cant comment on the false allegations made in the lawsuit, Suffolk Police Benevolent Association President Noel DiGerolamo said, addingLoebs "conduct and behavior" speak for themselves. "He's been through a lot in Suffolk County.". "RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this readjustment phase. 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. In the 2012 incident that led to his downfall, witnesses testified he went out of control after the handcuffed suspect called him a pervert during an interrogation - punching, screaming and cursing and threatening to kill him with a heroin overdose. Two decades ago, as a sergeant, Mr. Burke had a sexual relationship with a prostitute, according to an internal affairs investigation that accused Mr. Burke of accidentally leaving his handgun with the woman, Newsday reported. The bodies of eight women, a man and a toddler have been found on or near Gilgo Beach since 1996. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Before that, Cameron served as chief after James Burke resigned the position over his role in the assault of a handcuffed prisoner. 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. He asked for no prison time because he says his mother is dying of cancer. All Rights Reserved. During the corruption trial, which is expected to last four weeks, several current and former Suffolk County police officers will appear as witnesses. Last month he was released from custody and transferred to a halfway house in New York City, Newsday reports. Outside the courthouse, Robert Trotta, a legislator and former police detective, said he was happy with the sentence. One officer told a federal agent that if that were true, "I'm a dead man," the letter said. 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. Questions of Burkes fitness to lead surfaced as far back as 1995, when he twice was found to have failed to safeguard his weapon. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Feb. 26, 2016. Im gratified that the truth is finally coming out., Retired Suffolk detective says he feared being targeted by Burke, DAs office, Former Suffolk officer admits he took part in Loeb beating during testimony in Spota trial, Town of Babylon supervisor testifies at Spota, McPartland trial, Prosecutors: Spota, McPartland abused public trust to protect crooked cop friend, Jury selected in former Suffolk DA Spota cover-up trial, Christopher Loeb shows up at ex-DA Spota jury selection in cover-up trial, DA Spota says he never spoke with Bellone about Burke, 2011 letter from Spota denies James Burke misdeeds. 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. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Detectives and sergeants have been known to earn more than $200,000 a year. 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. Prior to Spota's trial, the feds were probing then Suffolk police chief James Burke for beating a handcuffed suspect who was charged with stealing the angry chief's duffel bag, full of the chief's nifty playthings. But, "If you did anything wrong in any way, he would persecute you, transfer you and ruin your career.". He was released from prison this year after receiving a 46-month sentence. ", 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. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. 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. A Suffolk County Police Officer begins the job at a salary of $42,000 per annum. RIVERHEAD, Long Island (WABC) -- The former chief of the Suffolk County Police Department pleaded guilty to charges of deprivation of civil rights and obstruction of justice Friday morning. A police helicopter located him crouching under a tree and a police dog retrieved him, according to prosecutors. Ultimately, Mr. Burke was arrested and pleaded guilty in 2016 to a civil rights violation and conspiracy to obstruct justice. 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 former chief pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February 2016.[1]. Burke was officially hired by the Suffolk County Police Department in 1986 as a 21-year-old. 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. . "He's made mistakes. A federal prosecutor involved in the case declined to comment Tuesday. On that day I went to the 4th precinct in Suffolk County. 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. I think we still have a long way to go," said Trotta, who spoke at the sentencing. The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) is a local civilian agency established in 1960, and covers 5 out of the 10 towns in the county, them being: .

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