Tag: James burke

In a letter to US District Court Judge Leonard Wexler, Burke apologized for his discretions and played up his three decades on the police force, which ended last year in disgrace when Burke was arrested for beating a suspect and a twisted plot to cover it up.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, his wife, Linda, and Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto have been indicted on federal charges that will be unsealed Thursday, prosecutors said. Multiple New York news outlets quoting anonymous sources reported that Mangano, atwo-term Republican from Bethpage, is expected to be charged in connection with the investigation into a Syosset restaurateur who’s been indicted for fraud and bribing a Town of Oyster Bay official.

Advocates and citizens frustrated with the avalanche of corruption scandals on Long Island and statewide are rallying and organizing other grassroots efforts aimed at pressuring lawmakers into being more ethical and transparent. Local good government groups picketed this week outside the Long Island office of New York State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Smithtown), urging him to allow passage of ethics reforms for Albany lawmakers before the legislative session ends June 16. And a New York City-based nonprofit this week announced that it’s suing LI municipalities that fail to turn over financial documents in a statewide citizen-led transparency initiative recently started in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Walsh is on trial for scheming to defraud taxpayers of $80,000 in no-show work at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and Suffolk County jail. Prosecutors allege Walsh falsely represented that he was working while he was actually gambling at Foxwood’s Casino in Connecticut, golfing, or conducting Conservative Party business on the taxpayer dime. The party big was also accused of lying to FBI agents when he allegedly claimed he worked flex time for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office.

Federal prosecutors allege in court papers that Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota quashed investigations into embattled ex-county correction officer and Suffolk County Conservative Party Chair Edward Walsh, who was indicted last year on charges of defrauding taxpayers of more than $80,000 in no-show work.

Disgraced ex-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations and conspiracy charges Friday for beating a suspect and ordering police to cover it up. Burke was arrested in December 2015 on allegations by federal prosecutors that he had beaten Smithtown resident Christopher Loeb while in police custody two years earlier and coerced police officials who had witnessed the beating to lie to investigators about what they’d seen.

The new commish will be tasked with cleaning up the mess left by a former police chief who was arrested on corruption charges. Among his first moves was announcing plans to invite the FBI to work more closely on the Long Island Serial Killer case, gang investigations and other probes. He also unveiled plans to revamp the internal affairs unit, crack down on drug houses, and hinted at an upcoming "unprecedented" law enforcement partnership.

The ex-chief's attorney believes it is "pretty likely" that the case will start on March 21.

What a year it's been!

Republicans also urged the county executive to expand his search for a new police commissioner.