thomas spota daughter

A scandal sent a Long Island police chief to prison. Now it's brought A former Long Island prosecutor convicted of obstructing justice after a prisoner was beaten has begun serving a five-year federal prison sentence. "My family will forever be marked by my disgrace.". But he insisted his memory wasnt compromised by his drinking and that he never consumed alcohol after his 2013 hospital discharge. Spota, who spent 15 years at the top of Suffolk's law and order structure before his 2017 federal indictment, said in the Central Islip courtroom that his conviction marked "the lowest point" in his life one he fears will become his legacy. Both men had faced up to 20 years behind bars. 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.". Ex-Suffolk County DA Tom Spota, Aide Sentenced To 5 Years: Feds Mr. Spota set out to protect and defend Chief Burke, as he had before over a 40-year friendship, prosecutors said. They ruined lives and destroyed careers. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. The jury deliberated for nearly a full day before returning the guilty verdict. US Eastern District Judge Joan Azrack handed down the 60-month stint behind bars and $100,000 in fines for the 79-year-old Spota aftera jury found the ex-district attorney guiltyof charges ranging from conspiracy to witness-tampering in 2019. Those who abuse their power and subject others to cruel and unnecessary punishment must be removed from serving in any official capacity and must pay the price for their conduct. 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 is absolutely no place for this type of behavior within our criminal justice system. 271 Cadman Plaza East In it, Spota raved about Burkes "outstanding leadership" in response to an anonymous letter that had surfaced as selection was underway for a new police chief. Former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota sentenced to 5 years in "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. Oct. 25, 2017. LONG ISLAND, NY Former Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota, 79, and his chief investigator, found guilty of obstruction by a jury in 2019 for covering up an incident during which a man. THOMAS J. SPOTA (718) 254-6323. CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. He was one of the most powerful men on Long Island, serving as the top prosecutor in a suburban county with 1.5 million people. Scandal Began With Sex Toys. Now Ex-D.A. Is Convicted on Long Island. I commend the tenacity and skill of this Office's prosecutors and the FBI special agents in toppling the defendants from their undeserved positions of prominence and in holding them to account for their reprehensible violations of the public trust.. Mr. McPartland helped concoct a cover story that Chief Burke had just popped his head in to the interrogation room. 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 . A federal grand jury investigation into the Loeb assault as "a civil rightsdeprivation" was opened by the U.S. Attorneys Brooklyn Office, with the assistance of the FBI,in the spring of 2013, the release said. Senator Flanagan And District Attorney Spota Join Families To Call For 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. Rather, he engaged in a years-long cover-up.. ", In 2016, Bellone publicly called on Spota to step down with claims that Spota was "operating a criminal enterprise that must be stopped.". 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. Vinegrad also raised the possibility of the former district attorney, who was vaccinated against COVID-19 becoming infected in prison and then possibly dying. Jurors delivered their verdict after about seven hours of deliberations in the sixth week of the trial, with the panels forewoman saying later in an interview that that law should apply equally to everyone. Mr. Loeb was held on $500,000 bail, an unusually high amount for a car break-in. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland sat without expression as the verdict was read. 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. They also presented evidence that Spota, as part of his history of covering up for Burke, wrote a 2011 letter to County Executive-elect Steve Bellones transition team. 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. ", He added that at the time he called for the resignation: "Tom Spota's power was at its peak and their criminal enterprise was in full swing. They're guilty," Loeb wrote on Facebook in 2019. Ex-Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota sentenced to 60 months in prison and $100K fine for obstructing a federal civil rights investigation. Burke pleaded guilty to civil rights violations and conspiracy to obstruct justice in February of 2016 and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/ad2/Handdowns/2020/Decisions/D62922.pdf, "Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota resigning Friday after allegedly covering up police chief beating", "Spota, under indictment, finishes DA career under cloud of cover-up charges", "A scandal sent a Long Island police chief to prison. Loeb was paid $1.5 million after he filed a federal lawsuit against Suffolk County, a report by 1010wins said. They hugged their lawyers afterward. Spota and co-defendant Chris. Scandal Began With Sex Toys. Eastern District of New York | Suffolk County District Attorney and [18] Spota's sentencing was delayed multiple times but he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and a $100,000 fine on August 10, 2021.[5]. But Azrack said that by participating in the cover-up, both defendants sent the message that prosecutorial power in Suffolk can be abused, civil rights violations will be tolerated and that some people in the county are above the law. After hearing four weeks of trial testimony, a federal jury on Long Island found Mr. Spota guilty of four counts, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Boeckmann also called their punishments fitting. In the 1990s, an internal investigation found that he had violated several police protocols, including having sex in his patrol car while in uniform with a prostitute who used crack cocaine. Four days after his release from the hospital in October 2015, he received a grand jury subpoena, he said. But the investigation escalated again in 2015 with more subpoenas. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was sentenced to 5 years behind bars. We've received your submission. Brooklyn NY 11201, Telephone: 718-254-7000 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. They were accompanied by other members of the Hispanic community. Thomas J. Spota, the former district attorney in Suffolk County, N.Y., was found guilty on Tuesday of four counts, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Thomas Spota - Wikipedia They have three grown children. 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. He entered private law practice in Suffolk, representing clients including the Suffolk Detectives Association and other law enforcement unions.[7]. The trouble started one morning in December 2012, when Chief Burke discovered somebody had broken into his police car. Spota represented Burke years later as a private attorney when Burke faced internal police discipline after 1995 allegations which were substantiated that Burke engaged in sex acts with a known prostitute in police vehicles and failed to safeguard his service weapon. Mr. Burke, 55, had already pleaded guilty in 2016 to the assault and the subsequent cover-up, a year after resigning from the force. August 10, 2021 / 7:09 PM / CBS New York CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was sentenced Tuesday for a cover-up involving the county's. 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. Now Ex-D.A. 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. Mr. Burkes relationship with Mr. Spota began in 1979, when Mr. Spota was a young prosecutor trying a murder case, and Mr. Burke, then a teenager, was his star witness. Mr. Spotas family members, seated in the first row of the courtroom, appeared emotional, with teary eyes and their arms around one another. "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," she said. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. . 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. Appeals court: Ex-DA can't be sued over charges that were thrown out I met with the daughter. With many big projects about to seek agency benefits, the answer is critical. Word of a reopened probe panicked Spota, according to Hickeys testimony. [2][3][4] Spota was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to five years in federal prison and fined $100,000 . The testimony exposed an alarming culture of corruption and retribution in a county with about 2,500 police officers, one of the largest police departments in the United States. Spota and McPartland were both convicted on all charges, John Marzulli, a spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office, said. Because of their obstructive efforts, the federal investigation was unsuccessful and was closed approximately eight months later. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The former official in Suffolk County was found guilty of conspiracy after a trial that exposed a culture of corruption. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Tom Spota was sentenced to five years is prison Tuesday following his 2019 conviction for helping cover for ex-police Chief James Burke. But a few months later, in early 2013, Mr. Loebs lawyer publicly accused the police of assault, triggering a civil rights investigation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Eyewitness News has learned it appears Spota and McPartland will appeal their sentences. A corruption saga that began with a prisoners 2012 beating in a police precinct and reached Suffolk Countys highest law enforcement ranks concluded Tuesday with a federal judge sentencing both former District Attorney Thomas Spota and his ex-aide to 5 years in prison. When Mr. Cuffs son was caught with a gun, the district attorneys office threatened to upgrade the charges from a misdemeanor to a felony. 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. [10] 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. Burke physically and verbally assaulted a shackled prisoner, Christopher Loeb, in an interrogation room in Hauppauge after Loeb broke into Burkes police vehicle and stole his gun belt and ammunition, and several personal items including cigars, sex toys and pornography. Burke also enlisted the help of Spota and McPartland, "to ensure that the witnesses kept quiet. Uli Seit for The New York Times. 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. Spota's career ended with his disbarment in 2020 and his sentencing to five years in federal prison in 2021. Spota was convicted of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy, and he must report to prison by December 10. 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. Suffolk Prosecutor Charged With Obstructing Police Assault You have not heard an apology, Boeckmann said. Mr. Having served as the Suffolk County D.A. The cover-up of Chief Burkes assault, witnesses at trial said, was part of a broader pattern. I met with the Mrs. Lucero, the mother. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community. Krantz had argued that McPartland already had lost his reputation, life savings and like Spota his law license. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Jacqueline Maguire, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences. Together, Mr. Spota, Mr. McPartland and Chief Burke controlled what amounted to a law-enforcement fiefdom in the eastern half of Long Island, prosecutors said. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to [email protected]. He said the criminal justice system in Suffolk isn't just broken, but corrupt by design. Some were warned that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees, prosecutors said. Vinegrad described Spota in a court filing as a "shattered man" whose age, declining health and record of public service supported a no-prison sentence. Christopher Loeb was kicked and punched while in police custody. 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 Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and a former top aide, Christopher McPartland, surrendered at separate federal prisons Friday, prison officials told Newsday. Spota hugged his wife and his weeping daughter before leaving the courtroom in silence. Boeckmann, the prosecutor, said outside the courthouse that the long-term damage Spota and McPartland inflicted on the criminal justice system couldn't be overstated. Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Jacqueline Maguire, acting assistant director-in-charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the sentences. Ex-Suffolk County DA, Aide Denied Bail Pending Appeal: Feds But he said he didn't realize that there was a corrupt conspiracy operating among those at the highest level of law enforcement. (Provided) A 46 . [5], Spota was born in 1941 and grew up in New Hyde Park, New York, on Long Island. Ex-Suffolk Prosecutor Sentenced to 5 Years in Suspect Abuse Scandal Advertisement. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota on trial for 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. The legislation Senator Flanagan sponsors has passed the Senate in both of the past two years but has died in . First Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Boeckmann said in court Tuesday that Spota still hadn't apologized for actions that had "an absolute chilling effect" on the county's criminal justice system and implored the judge to impose prison time. "Their conduct has devastated many people individually, deprived Suffolk residents of what they deserve from public officials, and was a disservice to all the honest, hardworking men and women of law enforcement. Then in 2001, Mr. Spota, who switched parties from Republican to Democratic, was elected district attorney. The prosecution told jurors during the trial that Spota was the "CEO" of the conspiracy, while McPartland was the scheme's "chief operating officer" as they broke the law they were supposed to uphold. Powerful Former LI Prosecutor Guilty of Police Beating Cover-Up

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