Former NYPD union leader sentenced to prison over theft scheme

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Aug 2023 15:37

The former head of the New York Police Department Union is sentenced to two years in prison over wire fraud.

People film police officers as they chant anti-NYPD slogans, Friday, August 4, 2023, in New York's Times Square (AP)

The former president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), the country's fifth-largest police union, has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling more than $600,000 through falsified expense reports, according to officials.

Edward Mullins, who served as the SBA president from 2002 to October 2021, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in January. On Thursday, he received his sentence from the US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.

During his tenure as president, Mullins orchestrated a scheme to siphon funds from the SBA between 2017 and 2021, deceiving the union by submitting hundreds of phony expenses. These expenses were typically reimbursed through the annual dues paid by the organization's members.

The fraudulent expenses included personal purchases such as lavish meals, luxury clothing, and other high-end personal items, all of which Mullins falsely claimed were SBA-related expenses. Prosecutors accused him of routinely inflating the costs of these expenses.

In addition to the two-year prison sentence, Mullins will be subjected to three years of supervised release and is required to repay the full $600,000 he stole from the union. He will also forfeit an additional $600,000.

"It's an unfortunate situation," Thomas A. Kenniff, Mullins' attorney, told CNN. "Any time you have a client that is sent to prison, it's obviously disappointing, but we were pleased that the judge was willing to see all the many good acts that Mr. Mullins has done in his life that far outweigh anything associated with this one incident."

Damian Williams, the US Attorney, condemned Mullins' actions, stating, "For years, Edward Mullins abused his position as the head of the SBA to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the pockets of hard-working NYPD sergeants. As today's sentence demonstrates, no one — not even high-ranking union bosses — is above the law."

The sentencing serves as a reminder that individuals in positions of power will be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their status or influence within the organization, the attorney underlined.