From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. They thought they were above the law, said Justina L. Geraci, an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York. Loeb pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. 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. Thereafter, from approximately December 14, 2012 to December 2015 I was aware that there was a Grand Jury Investigation regarding the violation of Civil Rights being conducted by the United States Attorney's Office. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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.. Burke became chief of the Suffolk County Police Department, one of the country's largest suburban police forces, in 2012 after serving for nearly a decade as chief investigator for Suffolk County . 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. 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. 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. 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. He is expected to testify that the defendants instructed him to pressure other police detectives into hiding the truth about Mr. Burkes assault from investigators. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. He was released about 6 months early for good behavior, according to the New York Post. 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: . November 2, 2016 / 5:48 PM 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. Credit: James Carbone, Michael O'Keeffe covers Suffolk County police and other Long Island law enforcement agencies. 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. After 37 years, Suffolk County's police commissioner is retiring - WSHU Former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke Sentenced to Federal Prison Former Suffolk Police Chief Accused of Assault, Covering up Federal Investigation Last month he was released from. By the end of 2013, the investigation had stalled and no criminal charges had been filed because Mr. Spota, Mr. McPartland and others had pressured witnesses to lie under oath and to withhold information from investigators, prosecutors said. During the corruption trial, which is expected to last four weeks, several current and former Suffolk County police officers will appear as witnesses. Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke Sentenced to 46 Months 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.. 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. That's corruption.''. All Rights Reserved. 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. In what has been called an "unusual move," he was then criminally prosecuted by Spota and McPartland. she said. We've received your submission. The Suffolk Police Department is proud to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). ", Burke will be able to leave the facility only through a sign-out procedure for "approved activities.". Here is the full text of Burke's plea statement: "On December 14, 2012, I was the Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department. Paying more despite good credit? He said that one of those assignments was keeping tabs on newly elected Steve Bellone. Ex-Suffolk officer: Burke ordered officers to spy on Executive Bellone CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. Suffolk Police Department | Suffolk, VA Long Island Serial Killer: Did Police Corruption Derail Investigation 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. A police helicopter located him crouching under a tree and a police dog retrieved him, according to prosecutors. Suffolk County man sues police department for exposing corruption after The next day, he resigned as the Suffolk County district attorney. 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. 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. He fought aggressively to expose sexual abuse by Catholic priests and was widely praised for prosecuting corrupt officials in both parties. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream. "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. A scandal sent a Long Island police chief to prison. Now it's brought Prosecutors said the woman grabbed her dog and dived on a neighbors lawn to avoid getting hit. (TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. And from there, they said, it only got worse. Mr. McPartland, 53, was the chief of the offices public corruption unit. A union official falsely told several officers that Burke and "other high-ranking Suffolk County law enforcement authorities" had secretly obtained copies of FBI memos containing the names of people speaking with investigators. Burke was officially hired by the Suffolk County Police Department in 1986 as a 21-year-old. Those efforts continued even after the F.B.I. A federal prosecutor involved in the case declined to comment Tuesday. 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 . SCPD members who witnessed the assault came under direct and extreme pressure from the defendants and others to conceal it, prosecutors said. A commanding officer was assigned to warn witnesses that they could face retribution if they cooperated. Feb. 26, 2016. 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.. 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. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland, 55, had each requested sentences that included. Before being named chief in 2012, he worked as an investigator for the Suffolk County district attorney. James Burke Now: Long Island Serial Killer Update | Where is Ex-Police He has sued Burke and the Police Department, seeking damages. 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. 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. When Mr. Burke entered the interrogation room, Mr. Loeb was handcuffed and chained to an eyebolt fastened to the floor, according to prosecutors. He will be assisted in finding a job and housing. You told me no one would believe me," Loeb added. "Our investigation is ongoing," the US attorney said. Disgraced police chief busted with oxycodone in jail cell - New York Post County officials said Chief James Burke turned in his resignation, which is. Thomas Spota Sentenced For Cover-Up Of James Burke's Jailhouse Attack He was convicted of assaulting a man in 2012 during an interrogation and obstructing a federal investigation. He has sued Burke and the Police Department. Christopher Loeb, James Burke's target in 2012 precinct beating, sues He was promoted to sergeant in 1991, when he was 26, and reportedly had Spota's ear. But before we delve into that, we should mention his long career in law enforcement. Two years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Before the sentencing, ex-Suffolk County police Chief James Burke apologized to police, the judge, the victim and the people of the community. Burkes Manhattan lawyer, John Meringolo, denied that drugs were found in Burkes locker. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Mr. Burke not only survived that incident but also thrived. 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 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. In the 2012 incident that led to his downfall, Burke was exacting revenge on a man who broke into his SUV that year. 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 . 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. 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. There is no requirement for his cooperation in other cases or to testify against anyone else. [21] Burke violently assaulted a man in custody who had stolen a duffel bag from Burke's police vehicle. James Burke is former Police Chief in Suffolk County, New York. 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. "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. "We will seek to hold accountable anyone who violates another's civil rights or attempts to obstruct justice.". Former Suffolk police member testifies James Burke demoted him over Suffolk County Police Department Information - Civil Service Success A Suffolk County police scandal involving a beating and coverup now spills into the local prosecutor's office. "He's made mistakes. 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. 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. Capers was seated at the prosecution table during the sentencing but did not immediately comment afterward. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He is an award-winning journalist and the co-author of two books, "The Card" and "American Icon.