thomas spota daughter

Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota and Government Ex-prosecutor sentenced to 5 years in suspect abuse scandal Then in 2001, Mr. Spota, who switched parties from Republican to Democratic, was elected district attorney. 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. Spota was convicted in December 2019 on federal charges of conspiracy to tamper with witnesses and obstruct an official proceeding, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and being an accessory to Burke, U.S. Department of Justice officials said. They ruined lives and destroyed careers. The essential facts of this crime are so outrageous, Azrack said. McPartland also asked the judge to consider how a severe punishment would impact his family and the suffering he said they already have endured. "Because of their obstructive efforts, the federal investigation was unsuccessful and was closed approximately eight months later. Spota and McPartland helped to ensure witnesses of Burkes crimes using threats against themselves and their families during a U.S. grand jury investigation into Burkes deprivation of Loebs civil rights. Azrack said no one is above the law. I met with them after the indictments and before it was announced publicly what the results of the indictment were. Advertisement. Thomas Spota - Wikipedia According to federal prosecutors, Spota, McPartland, Burke and other police officers met and spoke by phone to discuss how to conceal Burke's role in the assault on Loeb. Mr. McPartlands lawyer, Larry H. Krantz, said, There are many more legal steps in the case, and we will continue to fight for this.. Uli Seit for The New York Times. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and a former top aide, Christopher McPartland, surrendered at separate federal prisons Friday, prison officials told Newsday. ALSO READ | Street racing hit-and run crash leaves woman dead, man hurt in Brooklyn, police say. Spota and. The former official in Suffolk County was found guilty of conspiracy after a trial that exposed a culture of corruption. On Tuesday, after the verdict was read, Mr. Loeb, the man who was assaulted by the police chief, poked his head into the emptying courtroom. Spota and McPartlands trial became the first time that some of those involved in Loebs assault spoke about it publicly, with two of the three detectives who took part in the beating with Burke testifying about the police brutality and how the pressure to keep quiet later changed their lives and careers. Fax Line: 718-254-7508. United States Attorneys Office A federal jury on Tuesday convicted former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and one of his ex-chief aides, Christopher McPartland, of felony charges related to the attempted cover-up of a. 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. This story was reported by Nicole Fuller, Bridget Murphy and Michael O'Keeffe. Because of their obstructive efforts, the federal investigation was unsuccessful and was closed approximately eight months later. Among the successful cases prosecuted by his office was the conviction in May 2017 of John Bittrolff, a Manorville carpenter charged with the homicides of prostitutes Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee, whose bodies were found on area South Shore beaches in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Alek Lewis is a lifelong Riverhead resident and a 2021 graduate of Stony Brook Universitys School of Communication and Journalism. He told jurors he testified falsely during a hearing in Loebs case and feared Suffolk police or prosecutors would fabricate charges against him or his family if he didnt go along with the cover-up. When Mr. Cuffs son was caught with a gun, the district attorneys office threatened to upgrade the charges from a misdemeanor to a felony. The judge told Spota to surrender to prison officials on Dec. 10 and also sentenced him to pay a $100,000 fine. Former Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, Ex-Aide Convicted Of Covering Up But the investigation escalated again in 2015 with more subpoenas. The defense teams for Spota and McPartland had lobbied extensively for sentences of home confinement and community service for their clients. "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. You better find out fast, if its not too late," Hickey testified the district attorney also told him that day. All rights reserved. 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. Spota: Yes, I met with them. Former Long Island Prosecutor Begins Prison Sentence Thomas J. Spota III (born 1941, New York) is a former American attorney and politician, who served as the District Attorney of Suffolk County, New York, serving from 2002 to late 2017, but was disbarred on June 10, 2020. Both men denied the charges, multiple reports said. This culture of corruption has had a real and profound impact. Police officers who received subpoenas from the FBI were interrogated afterward by Burke's allies about whether they had talked, prosecutors said. 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. Burke pleaded guilty to civil rights violations and conspiracy to obstruct justice in February of 2016 and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. I hope not to die in prison alone. Prosecutors had argued the men deserved 8 years behind bars for doing "the exact opposite" of their jobs in the face of a scandal that eventually engulfed the county's law enforcement power structure. Northport, New York, John Marzulli Without recordings of conversations, the trial hinged largely on the testimony of one witness: James Hickey, a former police commander who worked in Mr. Spotas inner circle. Spota and McPartland were both convicted on all charges, John Marzulli, a spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office, said. Bellone, the Suffolk County Executive, said outside the federal courthouse Tuesday he knew he had inherited a government in crisis when he began serving in his role a decade ago. Spota, 79, of Mount Sinai and McPartland, 55, of Northport, were sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack; Spota was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, officials said. 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. Ex-Suffolk Prosecutor Sentenced to 5 Years in Suspect Abuse Scandal According to News 12, Spota and Christoper McPartland, 54, were convicted of four felonies; one stemmed from the cover up of the assault of suspect Christopher Loeb by former Police Commissioner James Burke. Uli Seit for The New. "The allegations of covert spying, threats made against perceived enemies, relentless intimidation tactics, and outright fear were spelled out clearly by federal prosecutors and I commend them for their outstanding work. [10] The judge also sentenced the former DAs top aide and ex-chief of his anti-corruption unit, Christopher McPartland, to five years in prison for the cover-up, as well. Later that morning, a man was arrested with the stolen goods. Former Suffolk DA Spota sentenced to five years in prison and $100,000 The sentencing guidelines are the subject of an oral argument set for June 30, federal officials told Patch. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine today after attempting to obstruct a federal investigation into the brutality of a prisoner by former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke in 2012. Published September 22, 2021 at 5:02 PM EDT. Thomas Spota and aide Christopher McPartland were convicted in 2019 of running a years-long cover-up of an attack by former Suffolk County Police Commissioner James Burke on a shackled man . 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. Thomas J. Spota III (born 1941, New York) is a former American attorney and politician, who served as the District Attorney of Suffolk County, New York, serving from 2002 to late 2017, but was disbarred on June 10, 2020. The obstruction initially worked, thwarting federal agents for several months. A federal grand jury investigation into the Loeb assault as a civil rights deprivation was opened by the U.S. Attorneys Brooklyn Office, with the assistance of the FBI, in the spring of 2013. He and Mr. Spota each face up to 20 years in prison. Burke, Spota and McPartland used the power and influence of their official positions, and the threat of retaliatory arrest and prosecution, to keep anyone from cooperating with that investigation. I met with Joselo, the brother. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, The Defendants Were Convicted of Obstructing a Federal Civil Rights Investigation, Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota and Government Corruption Bureau Chief Christopher McPartland Each Sentenced to Five Years in Prison, Former New York City Correction Officer Sentenced to Prison for Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Smuggling Contraband into Rikers Island, Brooklyn Federal Correctional Officer Charged with Bribery, Social Media Influencer Douglass Mackey Convicted of Election Interference in 2016 Presidential Race. Spota, 79, will begin his sentence Dec. 10. 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Anthony Leto testified at the trial that Burke punched, kneed and shook Loeb during the beating he also took part in, with Burke also threatening to give Loeb a "hot shot" or deadly drug dose. McPartland also addressed Azrack on Tuesday before hearing his sentence. Only then, and with today's sentences, the earned trust and confidence of the citizens of Suffolk County can be justly restored, stated FBI Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge Maguire. 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. 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. In a rage, Chief Burke kicked and punched him. /. Main Office Retired Det. "To see any old man live the rest of his life in a prison cell, possibly dying in jail, that kinda sucks but you have to be accountable for what you did," Loeb added after court. As soon as Mr. Burke became police chief in early 2012, he demoted Mr. Cuff by four ranks and assigned him to guard a warehouse. Mr. Hickey decided to plead guilty to his role in the conspiracy and cooperated with prosecutors as their star witness, testifying on the stand for three days. Having served as the Suffolk County D.A. New York Daily News. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community. It was written by Murphy. 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. Some police officers were in the interrogation room when Burke walked in and punched Loeb, prosecutors said. A federal appeals court found Wednesday that nurses who abruptly resigned from a Smithtown facility in 2006 over working conditions, then faced child-endangerment charges that were thrown out,. Additionally, Spota was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. Former Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, ex-top aide now in prison, federal Already a lame duck for foregoing a re-election bid, Spota announced his retirement just days after he was charged amid growing pressure from politicians and the public. 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. Bellone said his actions were inspired by reports of political corruption in the district attorney's office. Man jailed on bogus murder rap to sue disgraced Long Island DA Mr. Proving obstruction of justice required the government to present evidence that the defendants acted with a corrupt purpose, a high legal bar. They have three grown children. Feds seek lengthy prison terms for corrupt former Suffolk County DA Eastern District of New York | Suffolk County District Attorney and HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The families of four victims killed in hit-and-run crashes in Suffolk County called on Albany on Tuesday to enact tougher sentences for drivers who flee the scene. 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, stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis. "Nobody should have this much power and be above the law.". [15][16] Spota resigned from office on November 10, 2017. Burke pleaded guilty in 2016 to the beating and cover-up, serving most of a 46-month prison sentence before his release to a halfway house. The unfortunate truth is that we will be paying for it for years to come. "Thomas Spota and Christopher McPartland are guilty of ruining the lives of so many other families. You have not heard an apology, Boeckmann said. Burke had flown off the handle in 2012 while interrogating suspect Christopher Loeb who had stolen a bag from the chiefs SUV. According to federal prosecutors, Spota considered anyone cooperating with the investigation into Burke a "rat," demanded that a police officer find out who was cooperating, and threatened that informants "would never work in Suffolk County again.". 271 Cadman Plaza East Thomas Spota allegedly conspired with Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke and a top deputy in the DA's office to pressure witnesses to not cooperate with an FBI investigation into the 2012. "My family will forever be marked by my disgrace.". 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.". He graduated from Chaminade High School, a private Catholic school in Mineola, New York. 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