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"The verdict today confirms what I said on May 12, 2016 when I stood on the steps of the district attorney's office calling on him to resign that Tom Spota, along with Christopher McPartland, was running a criminal enterprise out of the district attorney's office," Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in 2019. The three men called themselves the administration, one former police officer testified. He entered private law practice in Suffolk, representing clients including the Suffolk Detectives Association and other law enforcement unions.[7]. "I hope it sends a clear message that no one is above the law and criminal conduct that betrays the public trust will be punished," the judge said of his sentence. He said the criminal justice system in Suffolk isn't just broken, but corrupt by design. They depicted Burke as Spotas "professional child of sorts" and a wise elder who told a golf buddy after Burkes conviction that he shouldnt sympathize with the wayward cop because he "did it to himself.". 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. Ex-Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and top aide convicted in Support RiverheadLOCAL today. Then in 2001, Mr. Spota, who switched parties from Republican to Democratic, was elected district attorney. This story has been shared 121,843 times. Mr. Cuff cried at his desk, suspecting it was retaliation, a witness testified. 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. Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland sat without expression as the verdict was read. Prosecutors alleged that Spota and McPartland illegally intervened after the Dec. 14, 2012 beating. Former Det. Burke had flown off the handle in 2012 while interrogating suspect Christopher Loeb who had stolen a bag from the chiefs SUV. Some were warned that if they admitted wrongdoing, their union would not pay their legal fees, prosecutors said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. He finished his prison sentence in April. 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. Burke pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation and conspiracy to obstruct justice in February 2016 and was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment. 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. In 2003, Spota indicted twelve Suffolk residents who used KaZaA, a file-sharing program to spread child pornography. Film Extras: Interview with Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J Spota: Yes, I met with them. 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. He earned degrees at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and St. John's University School of Law in Jamaica, Queens, New York. 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. Ex-prosecutor sentenced to 5 years in suspect abuse scandal Burke became a Suffolk cop and was promoted to sergeant; a 1995 department probe found that he had a sexual relationship with a prostitute who sold drugs, according to Newsday. "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. Copyright 2023 Newsday. As certain key witnesses were then compelled to testify before the grand jury under a grant of immunity, the truth about Burke assaulting Loeb finally emerged. Retired Det. The trouble started one morning in December 2012, when Chief Burke discovered somebody had broken into his police car. Feds seek lengthy prison terms for corrupt former Suffolk County DA Mr. Spota viewed Mr. Burke almost as a son, standing with him whenever he was touched by scandal. THOMAS J. SPOTA ", In 2016, Bellone publicly called on Spota to step down with claims that Spota was "operating a criminal enterprise that must be stopped. Spota was convicted in December 2019 on federal charges of conspiracy . To maintain the lie, Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland relied heavily on Mr. Hickey, the police commander who supervised those three detectives. His attorney, Larry Krantz, lobbied for leniency for a client he called "an honorable, decent, good man" who had "a brutal fall from grace.". Scandal Began With Sex Toys. Now Ex-D.A. Is Convicted on Long Island. 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. Prosecutors Push For No Bail In Spota Corruption Case Both men denied the charges, multiple reports said. The defense took aim at Hickey, who retired shortly before pleading guilty in 2016 to conspiracy to obstruct justice, and who told jurors he is hoping for leniency at his future sentencing because of his role as a cooperating prosecution witness. He said he feared he or his family would be falsely accused of a crime if he testified honestly about Loebs beating. But the investigation escalated again in 2015 with more subpoenas. ", 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The legislation Senator Flanagan sponsors has passed the Senate in both of the past two years but has died in . Spota was convicted of witness tampering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy, and he must report to prison by December 10. 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 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. Expand. At trial, lawyers for Mr. McPartland and Mr. Spota tried to shred Mr. Hickeys credibility, calling him a practiced liar and highlighting that he admitted to four extramarital affairs. Northport, New York, John Marzulli Spota, McPartland convicted on all counts in federal - Newsday McPartland also addressed Azrack on Tuesday before hearing his sentence. [10] Spota's attorney, Alan Vinegrad, told the judge his client is "a shadow" of his former self and a "fundamentally good" person who is devoted to his wife of 51 years, his three children and his grandchildren. They ruined lives and destroyed careers. 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. Scandal Began With Sex Toys. 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. 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. In contrast, the U.S. attorneys office had sought 8-year sentences for both defendants. Kenneth Bombace, who also took part in the beating, testified under an immunity deal that he stashed his family in a hotel in 2015 before testifying separately before a grand jury about the conspiracy. He completed his prison sentence this year but refused to testify at trial against his old colleagues. Because of their obstructive efforts, the federal investigation was unsuccessful and was closed approximately eight months later. 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. 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. Fax Line: 718-254-7508. The two remained close during Burke's rise, which culminated in 2012 when he was elevated to the top position in a department with more than 2,500 . ALSO READ | Earth warming likely to pass limit set by international leaders. With great power comes great responsibility and, as weve proven throughout the course of this investigation, Mr. Spota and Mr. McPartland abused their power to skirt their responsibility to comply with a federal civil rights investigation. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He'd been convicted of trying to cover up an assault by former police chief James Burke, Spota's top. Lawyers for Spoto and McPartland, 55, had argued home confinement was a more appropriate sentence. Mr. McPartland and Mr. Burke used to greet one another on the phone with a vulgar imprecation. They hugged their lawyers afterward. Thomas Spota and Christopher McPartland were convicted of obstruction of justice and other crimes for their role in a scheme to protect James Burke. She ordered McPartland to surrender on Nov. 10. Spota was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. In 2019, a jury convicted Spota, of Mount Sinai, and McPartland, 55, of Northport, of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and acting as accessories to the deprivation of prisoner Christopher Loeb's civil rights. Ex-Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, former aide sentenced to 5 years - Newsday