Thomas J. Spota, center, leaving court after being charged with obstruction of justice in 2017. 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. In a pre-sentencing letter, 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. Burke resigned from the force in October after a 31-year career. 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 . Its all part of a corruption case involving a former Long Island district attorney. A commanding officer was assigned to warn witnesses that they could face retribution if they cooperated. Prosecutors will say only that the investigation has widened and that it's not over. 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. Witnesses said the chief "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. He asked for no prison time because he says his mother is dying of cancer. He realized what he did here, and he wants to own up to it, Mr. Conway said. 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.. "If you were with Burke, he treated you like gold, and you got tons of overtime," Trotta said. 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. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Wexler said Burkes crimes went beyond the beating and affected the entire 2,000-member police department. With time served, he'll spend 35 months behind bars. You told me no one would believe me," Loeb added. 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.. But in 2015, the prosecutors started investigating again, issuing grand jury subpoenas to police officers. 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 is expected to be sentenced to 51 months in prison, according to a plea deal with the US Attorney. 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. One lied in court and said the attack had not happened. The police unions on Long Island are so wealthy they have formed a super PAC to flood local elections with campaign donations. The coconspirators were not identified in the letter, but prosecutors said their investigation is ongoing. Loeb was charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and other charges and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in April 2019. He said that one of those assignments was keeping tabs on newly elected Steve Bellone. He was brought to a precinct house and shackled to the floor. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Despite the efforts of the defendant and his co-conspirators to obstruct the federal investigation, he has been brought to justice.. 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. 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. 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.. They said he kept liquor in his office and regularly drove drunk. James Burke, Ex-Suffolk County Police Chief, Pleads Guilty, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/nyregion/james-burke-ex-suffolk-county-police-chief-guilty-plea.html, saying he posed a danger to the community, leaving his handgun with the woman, Newsday reported. 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. "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. Loeb later pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison; he was released last summer. N.J. Burkett has the latest details from Long Island. When Mr. Spota heard the inquiry was resuming, he went nuts, according to a court filing from the F.B.I. Paying more despite good credit? 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 the interrogation, Mr. Burke pressured the detectives who witnessed the assault to conceal it. 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. Two years. 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. 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. A federal prosecutor involved in the case declined to comment Tuesday. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. In what has been called an "unusual move," he was then criminally prosecuted by Spota and McPartland. Loeb pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. 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. One officer told a federal agent that if that were true, "I'm a dead man,'' the letter said. 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. Burkes Manhattan lawyer, John Meringolo, denied that drugs were found in Burkes locker. From breaking news to special features and documentaries, the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you. 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. One officer told a federal agent that if that were true, "I'm a dead man," the letter said. Federal prosecutors have signaledthat charges may be looming for accomplices who helped Burke cover up the crime. 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A Suffolk County police scandal involving a beating and coverup now spills into the local prosecutor's office. 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. 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. 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. The co-conspirators were not identified in the letter, but prosecutors said their investigation is ongoing. 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. All Rights Reserved. He will then have three years post-supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine. 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. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office. That's corruption.''. 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. The former chief pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February 2016.[1]. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. He will be assisted in finding a job and housing. Conway argued that Loeb's account was less than credible. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CENTRAL ISLIP, Long Island -- 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. He had subordinates conduct surveillance on his girlfriends, prosecutors said. / CBS New York. "We will seek to hold accountable anyone who violates another's civil rights or attempts to obstruct justice.". There is no requirement for his cooperation in other cases or to testify against anyone else. Burke was furious after Loeb, then a self-admitted drug addict, broke into his vehicle and stole items, including his gun belt, Viagra, pornography and sex toys, federal prosecutors charged in a trial of Spota and his then-former aide, Christopher McPartland. Mr. Hickey had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice, and Mr. Krantz said that he was testifying only to spare himself a harsh prison sentence. 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. 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.
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