They pointed to a state judges determination in 1990 that Mr. Hickey had lied under oath as a police officer in a different burglary case. Spota hugged his wife and his weeping daughter before leaving the courtroom in silence. Mr. Spota viewed Mr. Burke almost as a son, standing with him whenever he was touched by scandal. 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. 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. "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," Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said. [15][16] Spota resigned from office on November 10, 2017. Copyright 2023 Newsday. But Thomas J. Spota, the district attorney in New Yorks Suffolk County, had an Achilles heel. He won election after election for 15 years with bipartisan support. Main Office
Senator Flanagan And District Attorney Spota Join Families To Call For 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. 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. He had been watching the trial from the overflow room. It was testimony from James Hickey, a retired Suffolk police lieutenant, that formed the heart of the governments case. Eyewitness News has learned it appears Spota and McPartland will appeal their sentences. (718) 254-6323. Former Chief of Investigations and Chief of the DA offices Government Corruption Bureau, Christopher McPartland, was sentenced to five years in prison alongside Spota for the same crimes. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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.