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McPartland was also sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday. A four-count indictment was returned this morning by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Thomas J. Spota, the Suffolk County District Attorney, and Christopher McPartland, the Chief of Investigations and Chief of the Government Corruption Bureau of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office (SCDAO), with (1) Conspiracy to . Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and a former top aide, Christopher McPartland, surrendered at separate federal prisons Friday, prison officials told Newsday. The jury determined Spota conspired with Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke and former anti-corruption bureau chief Christopher McPartland to pressure witnesses to not cooperate with an FBI investigation into the 2012 assault. "Thomas Spota and Christopher McPartland are guilty of ruining the lives of so many other families. Disgraced former Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota landed five years in prison Tuesday for obstructing a federal investigation into a cover-up involving sex toys, assault and a top local . She said that Burke had pleaded guilty quickly after his separate arrest and that, as prosecutors, Spota and McPartland were supposed to be an "essential bulwark against police misconduct.". 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. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota and Christopher McPartland, the former Chief of Investigations and Chief of the Government Corruption Bureau of the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office (SCDAO), were each sentenced today by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack, to five years in prison. They were accompanied by other members of the Hispanic community. In December 2012, then-Chief of the SCPD, James Burke the highest-ranking uniformed police official in Suffolk County physically and verbally assaulted a shackled prisoner, Christopher Loeb, who was under arrest and being held in an interrogation room at the 4th Precinct in Hauppauge, New York. But Thomas J. Spota, the district attorney in New Yorks Suffolk County, had an Achilles heel. With great power comes great responsibility and, as weve proven throughout the course of this investigation, Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland abused their power to skirt their responsibility to comply with a federal civil rights investigation. "These sentences send the right message to the public, that they can have faith in their criminal justice system, that the system is not broken and that corrupt police officers cannot and will not be protected by power-hungry prosecutors," she said. They're guilty," Loeb wrote on Facebook in 2019. Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini reflected on his predecessor's conviction Tuesday in a statement in which he said the agency he leads needs "to remain focused on continuing our progress and ensuring that the days of the past never happen again. By Joseph Goldstein and Alan Feuer. But the investigation escalated again in 2015 with more subpoenas. Word of a reopened probe panicked Spota, according to Hickeys testimony. Some were warned that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees, prosecutors said. He said he feared he or his family would be falsely accused of a crime if he testified honestly about Loebs beating. [5], Spota was born in 1941 and grew up in New Hyde Park, New York, on Long Island. He graduated from Chaminade High School, a private Catholic school in Mineola, New York. Spota was convicted in December 2019 on federal charges of conspiracy . The convictions of Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland make it clear that the days of Long Islands good old boy networks combining politics, power and policing to benefit a select few, at the expense of the taxpaying public, are dead and gone, said Richard Donoghue, the United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York. Spota added that he felt deep anguish for the shame his conviction brought to his family. He described it as a coalition of five high-powered, corrupt insiders who were behind the cover-up and would take collective aim to discredit and punish their enemies. August 10, 2021 CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) A former Long Island prosecutor was sentenced to 5 years in prison on Tuesday for helping cover up the police beating of a prisoner suspected of stealing sex toys and other items from a police chief's vehicle. Mr. McPartlands lawyer, Larry H. Krantz, said, There are many more legal steps in the case, and we will continue to fight for this.. Fax Line: 718-254-7508. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. The cover-up of Chief Burkes assault, witnesses at trial said, was part of a broader pattern. The two remained close during Burke's rise, which culminated in 2012 when he was elevated to the top position in a department with more than 2,500 . Leto retired in 2015, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and now is awaiting sentencing. The pre-pandemic verdict supported the prosecution's contention that both defendants orchestrated a cover-up of the beating of the shackled burglary suspect that Burke carried out with three detectives inside a Hauppauge precinct. Loeb, the abused prisoner, also spoke in court Tuesday, telling the judge that Spota "should spend the rest of his life behind bars." But the good news is that this culture of corruption has been swept out of the district attorney's office and has been replaced with a culture of integrity," he added. [1] The administration panicked, prosecutors said. "For well over a decade, I've personally endured horrendous crimes committed by and under this man," Loeb said referring to Spota. The jury determined that Spota and McPartland obstructed justice by covering for former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, who abused Loeb in 2012. Having served as the Suffolk County DA for over a decade, Spota had successfully helped Burke avoid legal trouble regularly during their decades-long friendship. ALSO READ | Street racing hit-and run crash leaves woman dead, man hurt in Brooklyn, police say. A federal jury on Tuesday convicted former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and one of his ex-chief aides, Christopher McPartland, of felony charges related to the attempted cover-up of a. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann, Lara Treinis Gatz, Justina L. Geraci and Michael R. Maffei are in charge of the prosecution. He said the criminal justice system in Suffolk isn't just broken, but corrupt by design. Eyewitness News has learned it appears Spota and McPartland will appeal their sentences. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York, the pair will be sentenced on August 10 at 10:30 a.m. at the courthouse in Central Islip. At trial, lawyers for Mr. McPartland and Mr. Spota tried to shred Mr. Hickeys credibility, calling him a practiced liar and highlighting that he admitted to four extramarital affairs. The obstruction initially worked, thwarting federal agents for several months. [14], The federal inquiry subsequently expanded beyond Burke to investigate a broader pattern of corruption in both the police department and the office of the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. All rights reserved. The unfortunate truth is that we will be paying for it for years to come. ', Long Island Siblings Saved By Heart Transplants Beat COVID. Kenneth Bombace, who also took part in the beating, testified under an immunity deal that he stashed his family in a hotel in 2015 before testifying separately before a grand jury about the conspiracy. McPartland also asked the judge to consider how a severe punishment would impact his family and the suffering he said they already have endured. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A former Long Island prosecutor was sentenced to 5 years in prison on Tuesday for helping cover up the police beating of a prisoner suspected of stealing sex toys and other items from a police chief's vehicle. A year later prosecutors from U.S. Attorneys Long Island criminal division reopened the investigation. Support RiverheadLOCAL today. "When a sitting District Attorney and one of his top prosecutors are corrupt and use their power to intimidate witnesses and cover up a brutal assault by a high-ranking law enforcement official, they not only jeopardize the safety of citizens who are entitled to the protection of the law, they also undermine confidence in the integrity and fairness of our criminal justice system," she said. Thomas Spota, 79, and his top aide, 55-year-old Christopher McPartland, were handed their sentences on Tuesday by a federal judge following their December 2019 convictions on conspiracy, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and civil rights violation charges related to a vast cover-up of the beating of a suspected thief by Suffolk County . In December 2012, then-chief of the SCPD, James Burke "physically and verbally assaulted a shackled prisoner, Christopher Loeb, who was under arrest and being held in an interrogation room at the 4th Precinct in Hauppauge," a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Uli Seit for The New York Times. Despite that,. Triple Five, Calvertons developer, launches a review of rail options, Man Caught With Stolen Vehicle In Riverhead: Police, Search On For Suspects Wanted In Attempted Armed Robbery: PD, Take better care of your bones Join HSS for a new webinar on 5/3, JOB Needed as live-in companion/caregiver as of 5/1/23 (Suffolk County), Learn to restore physically & emotionally with Energy Healing, 'Crystals For A Cause' Benefits Greenport's Miniature Railroad Project, Minimum Wage Would Increase On Long Island Under $229B Budget Deal, Pet Adoption In The Riverhead Area: See New Local Dogs, Cats & More, Riverhead Job Openings: See Who's Hiring In The Area, Ex-Batmobile Replica Maker Has New Space To Continue Dream After Fire, LI Cat Missing For 2 Years Found In Time For Christmas: 'She Is Home! With todays sentences, justice has been served and the defendants have learned the consequences of their crimes, just like anyone else who has broken the law. The governments case is being handled by the Offices Long Island Criminal Division. Burke pleaded guilty to civil rights violations and conspiracy to obstruct justice in February of 2016 and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. A Long Island jury on Tuesday found former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota guilty of obstructing a federal probe into a police chief who bashed a handcuffed prisoner over stolen porn . [13], In May 2013 the FBI and the US Attorney's Office opened an investigation into alleged actions by James Burke, Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department: the alleged assault of a suspect in police custody, a subsequent cover-up, and coercion of witnesses. He had been watching the trial from the overflow room. While doing so, Azrack said Spota did "incalculable damage" to the criminal justice system after "not a momentary lapse" in judgment but a yearslong conspiracy that included threats against witnesses. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was sentenced to 5 years behind bars. Christopher Loeb was kicked and punched while in police custody. Three other police detectives had been in the room participating in the beating, and it was imperative that they all stuck to the same story. [14] In October 2017, Spota and an aide were indicted on charges of obstructing the investigation of James Burke for police brutality. He repeatedly promoted Mr. Burke in the Police Department, consolidating their power. Prosecutors said Spota and McPartland did "the exact opposite" of their jobs so they could protect Burke in a nefarious plot aimed at maintaining a power structure controlled by those who believed they were above the law. Advertisement. The defense teams for Spota and McPartland had lobbied extensively for sentences of home confinement and community service for their clients. Mr. Leto told jurors that he feared if he were truthful, the police chief would falsely accuse his sons of a crime or plant drugs on them. He won election after election for 15 years with bipartisan support. In 2001, Spota won his first election as district attorney with the backing of police unions while campaigning on an anti-corruption platform. Police officers who received subpoenas from the FBI were interrogated afterward by Burke's allies about whether they had talked, prosecutors said. Having served as the Suffolk County D.A. The judge also sentenced the former DAs top aide and ex-chief of his anti-corruption unit, Christopher McPartland, to five years in prison for the cover-up, as well. A locked padlock "It has been a difficult five years and I have lost a lot," the ex-prosecutor said in part. He always had a soft spot for a police officer named James Burke, who rose under his tutelage to become the countys chief of police. The anonymous communication had issued a warning about Burkes internal affairs history, and made reference to a prostitute stealing Burkes service weapon. Brooklyn NY 11201, Telephone: 718-254-7000 Loeb's three-year prison sentence was vacated after Burke pleaded guilty. In addition to pressuring people not to cooperate, they asked witnesses to provide investigators with false information and withhold relevant information from investigators, federal prosecutors said. He told jurors he acted as a middleman in a yearslong conspiracy to cover-up Loebs beating after being tasked with ensuring the silence of the three detectives. McPartland was also part of the pressure campaign to get cops to cover for the chief. U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack meted out the penalties after a jury previously found Spota and Christopher McPartland, his former anti-corruption chief, tried to conceal that brutality and impede a federal probe to protect then-Police Chief James Burke. Now it's brought down the D.A., too", "Former Long Island Prosecutors Sentenced in Plot to Protect Police Chief", THE 2001 ELECTIONS: NASSAU COUNTY; Suozzi Wins Easily in Rebuke of Nassau's G.O.P. The resulting scandal eventually engulfed the countys law enforcement power structure. A jury found them guilty of witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy after they pressured witnesses not to cooperate with an FBI investigation into the 2012 assault, abc7ny.com said. THOMAS J. SPOTA The government also claimed McPartland was the "architect of the lies," helping Burke craft a story about Loeb being a "junkie thief" who fabricated his tale of an assault a script everyone who became part of the conspiracy had to follow. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. ALSO READ | Earth warming likely to pass limit set by international leaders. "Ive also left them with a shattered legacy and the stain of being a convicted felon," the former district attorney said. Age: 79 You better find out fast, if its not too late," Hickey testified the district attorney also told him that day. Spota, who served as DA for more than a decade before stepping down in 2017, worked to protect Burke by telling detectives who witnessed the assault to stay quiet as the feds probed the incident. Burke pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation and conspiracy to obstruct justicein February, 2016 and was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment; Spota and McPartland bothresigned from the District Attorneys Office in light of the charges against them and have sincebeen disbarred, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. According to News 12, Spota and Christoper McPartland, 54, were convicted of four felonies; one stemmed from the cover up of the assault of suspect Christopher Loeb by former Police Commissioner James Burke. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota and Government Corruption Bureau Chief Christopher McPartland Each Sentenced to Five Years in Prison Tuesday, August 10, 2021 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York The Defendants Were Convicted of Obstructing a Federal Civil Rights Investigation Anthony Leto testified at the trial that Burke punched, kneed and shook Loeb during the beating he also took part in, with Burke also threatening to give Loeb a "hot shot" or deadly drug dose. Thomas J. Spota III (born 1941, New York) is a former American attorney and politician, who served as the District Attorney of Suffolk County, New York, serving from 2002 to late 2017, but was disbarred on June 10, 2020. (Provided) A 46 . When a sitting District Attorney and one of his top prosecutors are corrupt and use their power to intimidate witnesses and cover up a brutal assault by a high-ranking law enforcement official, they not only jeopardize the safety of citizens who are entitled to the protection of the law, they also undermine confidence in the integrity and fairness of our criminal justice system, stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis. Thomas Spota and aide Christopher McPartland were convicted in 2019 of running a years-long cover-up of an attack by former Suffolk County Police Commissioner James Burke on a shackled man . The trouble started one morning in December 2012, when Chief Burke discovered somebody had broken into his police car. The disbarred lawyer, who will turn 80 next month, also shared a simple wish: "I hope not to die in prison alone," Spota told the judge. Local law enforcement eyewitnesses had been frightened into silence, as they feared retaliation against themselves and their families from within the Suffolk County Police Department and the District Attorneys Office. Mr. Hickey decided to plead guilty to his role in the conspiracy and cooperated with prosecutors as their star witness, testifying on the stand for three days. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The three men called themselves the administration, one former police officer testified. In particular, Mr. Burke hated one of the police officials, Pat Cuff, who had conducted the internal investigation against him in the 1990s, witnesses said. The man in custody, Christopher Loeb, was a heroin user with a long criminal record. United States Attorneys Office The former chief pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February 2016. He lived in Mount Sinai, New York, with his wife. It was testimony from James Hickey, a retired Suffolk police lieutenant, that formed the heart of the governments case. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. ', Long Island Siblings Saved By Heart Transplants Beat COVID. Spota and McPartland tried to cover for Suffolk Police Chief James Burke after the top cop attacked a cuffed prisoner. Loeb had broken into Burkes official police vehicle and stolen his gun belt and ammunition, and a duffel bag containing cigars, sex toys, prescription Viagra and pornography. [8] He was reelected in 2005,[9] and again in 2009 without any major-party opposition. The open homicide investigation is still underway. After the meeting, Chief Burke threatened that if the police detectives failed to stay in line, he would expose that Mr. Hickey was cheating on his wife, Mr. Hickey said. The criminal charges hastened Spota's exit from office after 16 years as the top prosecutor in Suffolk County. Mr. Cuff cried at his desk, suspecting it was retaliation, a witness testified. Spota and McPartland were successful in thwarting the investigation at first, until the case was reopened and witnesses were able to testify when granted immunity. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Age: 55 He told jurors he testified falsely during a hearing in Loebs case and feared Suffolk police or prosecutors would fabricate charges against him or his family if he didnt go along with the cover-up. Chief Burke thought nobody would believe his word over the police chiefs, according to witness testimony. Prosecutors said the two of them, along with other officials, were able to punish people who challenged their authority. Spota was convicted of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy, and he must report to prison by December 10. Local law enforcement eyewitnesses had been frightened into silence, as they feared retaliation against themselves and their families from within the Suffolk County Police Department and the District Attorneys Office.". Spota: Yes, I met with them. Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York City correction officer Katrina Patterson was sentenced by United States District Judge Carol B. Amon to a year and a As alleged, the defendant violated his duty as a correction officer and accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center, stated United Mackey has been found guilty by a jury of his peers of attempting to deprive individuals from exercising their sacred right to vote for the candidate of their choice in Eastern District of New York They placed fear of retaliation inside the minds of those who may otherwise have been willing to cooperate, and they interfered with efforts of federal investigators who were trying to get to the bottom of a heinous crime. Is the Riverhead IDA serving the publics interest? Email: alek@riverheadlocal.com. He told jurors Spota grilled him on who he suspected had "flipped," or started cooperating with federal officials. Additionally, Spota was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. A former Long Island prosecutor convicted of obstructing justice after a prisoner was beaten has begun serving a five-year federal prison sentence. Oct. 25, 2017. Spota and McPartland were convicted in December 2019 on counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and civil rights violations. "Thomas Spota and Christopher McPartland are guilty of ruining the lives of so many . Northport, New York, John Marzulli Mr. Hickey said that he stayed awake at night, feeling paranoid. She found that sentencing enhancements should apply because Spota and McPartland abused their positions of public trust, substantially interfered with the administration of justice, held leadership roles and committed crimes extensive in scope and planning. Spota and McPartland were both convicted on all charges, John Marzulli, a spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office, said. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Earth warming likely to pass limit set by international leaders, Street racing hit-and run crash leaves woman dead, man hurt in Brooklyn, police say, Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. McPartland, who also is serving a five-year sentence, is incarcerated at Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex in Texas, according to the newspaper. "Instead of serving the people of Suffolk County, these defendants brazenly abused their exceptional positions of power and public trust to protect their friends and hurt their enemies," Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. During closing arguments, Krantz presented jurors with a list of "10 reasons why James Hickey cannot be believed" that included "raw self-interest" and a "psychotic break from reality.". Loeb was paid $1.5 million after he filed a federal lawsuit against Suffolk County, a report by 1010wins said. Expand. Krantz cited what he said was McPartlands history of public service and good deeds, calling him a loving husband and father and someone who worked his way through college and law school before earning accolades throughout his career. Spota, 79, will begin his sentence Dec. 10. Spotas conduct, like Mr. McPartlands, was not a momentary moral lapse. U.S. District Court Judge Joan Azrack told Spota and McPartland that they violated the public's trust and described their actions as "unconscionable" and as "shocking criminal conduct." He'd been convicted of trying to cover up an assault by former police chief James Burke, Spota's top. Mr. Hickey testified that he was ordered to instruct his men to deny, deny, deny. Mr. Spota and the others involved in the cover-up handpicked one of the three officers, Anthony Leto, to lie under oath about the assault during a court hearing, Mr. Hickey said. McPartland, who worked directly under Spota, also had built a close friendship with Burke, and was the first person who Burke called the morning he discovered that his vehicle had been burglarized," the release from the U.S. Attorney's office said. Later that morning, a man was arrested with the stolen goods. That decision would cost Mr. Spota his career and turn him into a convicted criminal. I hope not to die in prison alone. Thomas J. Spota III (born 1941, New York) is a former American attorney and politician, who served as the District Attorney of Suffolk County, New York, serving from 2002 to late 2017, but was disbarred on June 10, 2020. The pair face up to 20 years in prison but will likely receive lower sentences due to federal guidelines, according to Newsday. Vinegrad also raised the possibility of the former district attorney, who was vaccinated against COVID-19 becoming infected in prison and then possibly dying. A federal appeals court found Wednesday that nurses who abruptly resigned from a Smithtown facility in 2006 over working conditions, then faced child-endangerment charges that were thrown out,. Federal prosecutors hinted at Spota and McPartland's alleged involvement in the cover up prior to Burke's sentencing, writing in court papers that "high-ranking officials" from other Suffolk County agencies had helped the former chief silence potential whistleblowers. Authorities suspect he was stealing from cars to buy heroin. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit last month denied the defendants requests to remain free on bail while they appeal their convictions. He then arranged for Burke to be transferred to serve as commanding officer of the squad of police officials who worked directly for him as district attorney, prosecutors said during the trial. 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Loeb was paid $1.5 million after he filed a federal lawsuit against Suffolk County for "being beaten while shackled to the floor of an interrogation room by former Police Chief James Burke in 2012 after stealing a duffel bag packed with a gun belt, ammunition, sex toys and pornography from Burke's vehicle," a report by 1010wins said. Testimony showed Hickey was hospitalized in 2015 after hallucinations brought on by stress and sleep deprivation, after a separate 2013 hospitalization for pancreatitis after excessive alcohol intake. Spota recommended a new federal task force and said that legislation was needed to "attack the owners and the distributors of these programs, who are reaping enormous profits. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. No sales tax increase for clean water initiative: government must find another way, Holidays open the floodgates of family memories, March is an awareness month that hits home. ", In 2016, Bellone publicly called on Spota to step down with claims that Spota was "operating a criminal enterprise that must be stopped.

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