NYPD Ticket-Fixing Scandal: Bronx DA Expected To Indict 17 Police Officers

After a two year investigation that included widespread wiretapping, a Bronx grand jury is expected to indict 17 New York City police officers in an alleged ticket-fixing scandal Tuesday.

According to The New York Times, Bronx district attorney Robert T. Johnson will seek charges of grand larceny and tampering with public records against 10 officers, all officials of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association for fixing tickets. Seven other officers are also expected to face charges, including a lieutenant suspected of leaking sensitive information about the case.

Other charges against the officers include perjury, bribery and official misconduct.

The Associated Press reports that the cops are accused of making the traffic tickets of family and friends disappear. Also among those whose tickets were allegedly fixed are city lawmakers and a New York Yankees executive.

Some of the officers involved in the scandal have reportedly already been disciplined by the department by having their pay and vacation days docked.

Most of those indicted today will be allowed to surrender themselves. Others could face arrest at their precincts.

"It's going to be the biggest scandal this department has seen in a long time," one source close to the investigation told The New York Daily News. "The cops who will be named in these indictments are the ones who went the furthest."

Last week, officer Robert McGee, a 30-plus year veteran of the force who was being investigated in the scandal, grabbed hold of the third rail of a subway track in the Bronx in an apparent suicide attempt. He survived and is in stable condition. McGee had reportedly been under a tremendous amount of stress after hearing news he would be called to stand trial against fellow officers about the ticket fixing scandal. He testified with immunity earlier this month and is not expected to face any charges.

Comments

[jacksnurse]

10:57 PM on 09/21/2011

Only 17?

[jhozef]

05:18 PM on 09/21/2011

I hope they fry! They make a nice living off our tax dollars by giving us tickets and problems that ruin lives yet they and their families and friends are immune to the consequences. This double standard has been around for decades. Do you know how much money on the side cops make in bribes and payoffs, " or donations and gifts" as they like to call it?? You would be shocked.

[Catsun]

09:48 AM on 09/21/2011

Say it ain't so. This is New York's Finest, we're talking about, yet they seem to be in the news every week. This is not good.

[KarateKid]

08:37 AM on 09/21/2011

They do this EVERYWHERE. In NJ, you can see cars that have a marker on the driver side of the front windshield, a fancy emblem attached with suction cups, which gives the driver immunity from tickets. It's from the PBA or some related organization.

[Topps]

08:31 AM on 09/21/2011

This occurrence is almost as old as keystone cops it happens in every state .There certainly are bigger fish to fry in New York.

[Jasel]

02:15 AM on 09/21/2011

Nice. Wish I had some popcorn.

[Newsmonger]

09:49 PM on 09/20/2011

I think their only crime might have been the refusal to fix the ticket one highly place individual and that person later found out that some other persons were enjoying the same privileges he/she was rightly denied....

[wildbill654]

07:33 PM on 09/20/2011

I guess crime must be way down in the Bronx if this is all the DA can find to investigate.
Cops are humans. Traffic and parking tickets? Maybe he should go clean up Moscow as the police there do this everyday, out in the open and they call it payoff.
Go get some that are drug laundry involved.

[JacksonHts]

11:57 PM on 09/21/2011

So, people responsible for enforcing our criminal laws who are themselves committing crimes should not be prosecuted.

[horsenomad]

07:18 PM on 09/20/2011

This is unbelievable! I had a detective behind an attempt to murder me by having my home burned down in the middle of the night, 15 years of police harrassment and setting me up with ficticious charges, and despite having evidence, the good old boy system keeps covering it up!
It makes me want to vomit that fixing tickets takes presedent over attempted murder! WTF?

[BlueZoo]

04:13 PM on 09/20/2011

C'mon! This is a time honored tradition! I can't remember when a ticket couldn't be fixed by a willing cop, attorney, judge, etc. and I am OLD!

[frankerin]

04:12 PM on 09/20/2011

Imagine, the PBA. Who'ld a thought. There to represent the force, a union made corruption.

[ScaningTheWaves]

03:50 PM on 09/20/2011

Now go to every city's municipal cops building and do the same, would the count be in 1k's or millions?

[twenty2727seven]

03:46 PM on 09/20/2011

What is to stop a criminal from becoming a cop again? Some devious minds have the patience and determination to get through cop training and earn their sometimes limitless power.

[bfrjds1981]

03:10 PM on 09/20/2011

They left out the word Heroes. I hear that everyday about the boys in blue. Wear a uniform and you are a hero.

[wphav]

12:11 AM on 09/21/2011

i guess when you wield a club against unarmed citizens that makes you a hero ? huh

[Tracee Collins]

10:27 AM on 09/21/2011

That thought makes me wanna barf! I think I hear your sarcasm though.....

[siteorg]

03:09 PM on 09/20/2011

All these cops if the are found guilty should lose their jobs, pensions and retireents. I do not care if they have 1 or 30 years in the service with a numerous amount of awards. They went bad and that is what counts. BYE BYE to all of them.

[wphav]

12:13 AM on 09/21/2011

thats the way it is in the real world but not cops ,judges or politicians they go out on paid leave.