Four NYPD cops charged in federal corruption probe

A federal investigation into the New York Police Department resulted in the FBI announcing corruption charges against four NYPD officers and several local businessmen Monday.

Deputy Chief Michael Harrington and Deputy Inspector James Grant are accused of taking more than $100,000 worth of bribes in exchange for providing a “private police force” for local businessmen, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said at a press conference Monday.

Investigators allege that the two commanders received expensive jewelry, meals, sports tickets and other benefits from the businessmen during the course of the last three years. In return, law enforcement bestowed the benefactors with personal police escorts and other special treatment on an “as needed basis,” according to the criminal complaint against them.

Both cops were charged Monday with conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud along with Jeremy Reichberg, a Brooklyn diamond merchant and businessman. A second businessman, financier Jona Rechnitz, previously pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities.

“They spent well over $100,000,” Mr. Bharara said in announcing the charges.

“They got in effect a private police force for their friends and themselves. They got police on-call.”

In one instance, according to investigators, Mr. Reichberg used his connections to have authorities shut down a portion of the Lincoln Tunnel so a visiting businessman could be personally escorted into New York City. In another, he allegedly spent more than $59,000 to send Deputy Inspector Grant and three others to Las Vegas on a private jet, where they attended the Super Bowl and partied with a prostitute.

“I have spoken to law enforcement agents who have debriefed [the prostitute], who confirmed, among other things, that [she] was engaged to accompany the persons on the trip and that Grant and others took advantage of her services during the trip,” FBI Special Agent Blaire Toleman said in the federal complaint.

In a second corruption indictment unsealed Monday, Sgt. David Villanueva of the NYPD’s gun licensing bureau is accused of taking bribes from Alex Lichtenstein, a “Brooklyn-based gun license ’expeditor,’ ” as described by the Justice Department.

Another officer from the gun licensing bureau, Richard Ochetal, is also accused of issuing firearm licenses for kickbacks and previously secretly pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and one count of conspiracy, according to a third indictment unsealed Monday.

The Justice Department accused Mr. Lichtenstein of charging clients thousands of dollars to have their gun license applications expedited by law enforcement. Mr. Lichtenstein allegedly then used those funds to compensate the cops, who in turn “approved applications despite red flags that, had they not been bribed, may have led those applications to be rejected,” the Justice Department said.

The cops’ alleged conduct “violates the basic principle that public servants are to serve the public, not help themselves to cash and benefits just for doing their jobs,” Mr. Bharara said.

“It is heartbreaking to see police officers who have taken the oath to serve and protect allegedly bring dishonor to an institution and profession deserving of the greatest honor,” the attorney added.

Deputy Inspector Grant and Deputy Chief Harrington were released on $250,000 bond after appearing in court early Monday, but they did not enter pleas, New York Daily News reported.

Sgt. Villanueva pleaded not guilty and was expected to be released on $200,000 bond, while Mr. Reichberg was slated to be free on $500,000 bond, the paper added. Mr. Lichtenstein had been charged previously after being arrested in April on corruption charges, the Justice Department said.

Susan Necheles, an attorney for Mr. Reichberg, said her client’s “only mistake was his friendship with Jona Rechnitz … who is desperately trying to get others in trouble to curry favor with prosecutors,” Newsday reported.