Posted June 21, 2016 9:10 PM ET; Last updated June 25, 2016 5:32 PM ET
Grant (pictured leaving court on Monday) accepted a two-night stay at a hotel in Rome worth more than $1,000, contracting work in his home worth about $12,000 and jewelry, the court papers state.
[Updated June 25, 2016 5:32 PM ET]
[From article]
A high-end prostitute received $10,000 to accompany a high-ranking NYPD officer and one of his detective friends on a trip to Las Vegas, federal authorities said.
The woman, who was named Candi according to DNA Info, was hired to accompany Deputy Inspector James Grant, his friend, two businessmen and two other people during a Super Bowl weekend getaway in 2013, the indictment states.
One of the businessmen, according to the document, was Jeremy Reichberg, of Brooklyn, who now faces corruption charges along with Grant and NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Harrington.
Reichberg and another businessman spent more than $100,000 bribing NYPD officers in exchange for favors, US Attorney Preet Bharara said Monday.
Candi, a high-end prostitute, took off in the private jet with Grant, Reichberg and businessman Jona Rechnitz, who has pleaded guilty in the case and is now cooperating with authorities in the investigation, from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, DNA Info reported.
The group left on February 2, 2014 to and returned on February 4 on the private jet, which cost $57,000 according to the indictment.
Candi told investigators that Grant and others had 'taken advantage of her services during the trip' and slept in Grant's room, the document states.
Reichberg had offered to take Grant to Las Vegas for a Super Bowl weekend a month prior, authorities said.
Authorities arrested Grant, 43, Harrington, 50 and Reichberg, 42, on Monday. All three now face one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
Meanwhile authorities said Harrington (pictured on Monday) accepted tens of thousands of dollars worth of private security work, hotel rooms in Chicago worth more than $6,000, and dinners worth thousands of dollars.
Reichberg and Rechnitz 'engineered a scheme to provide lavish benefits to high-ranking members of the NYPD' between 2012 and 2015, the US Attorney’s Office said.
Other gifts included a two-night stay at a hotel in Rome for Grant worth more than $1,000, contracting work in his home worth about $12,000 and jewelry, the court papers state.
Meanwhile authorities said Harrington accepted tens of thousands of dollars worth of private security work for a company he helped manage unofficially, hotel rooms in Chicago for him and his family worth more than $6,000, and dinners worth thousands of dollars.
In exchange, the indictment says, Grant and Harrington arranged police escorts for the two businessmen, diverted police resources to investigate their private matters and helped them get VIP access to parades and other events in New York City.
Grant helped the two men avoid tickets after being pulled over by officers by giving them cards, authorities said.
He also helped Reichberg to obtain a gun license from the NYPD and tried to do the same for Rechnitz, the US Attorney's Office said.
NYPD Sergeant David Villanueva was also arrested on Monday and charged with receiving cash bribes to expedite and approve gun licenses.
Authorities also unveiled the guilty plea of officer Richard Ochetal, who has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for the approval of gun license applications and is now cooperating with investigation.
Both Reichberg and Rechnitz have contributed heavily to Mayor de Blasio's campaign.
The mayor hasn't been implicated in any wrongdoing.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3653678/High-end-prostitute-called-Candi-received-10-000-accompany-NYPD-officers-fundraisers-Bill-Blasio-private-jet-Super-Bowl-weekend-Las-Vegas.html
High-end prostitute called Candi 'received $10,000 to accompany NYPD officers and de Blasio donors on a private jet for a Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas'
The prostitute was hired to spend the trip with Deputy Inspector James Grant, a detective friend and two businessmen in 2013, authorities said
Grant and others 'took advantage of her services', according to indictment
The jet cost $59,000 and Candi slept in Grant's room, the document states
Grant, businessman Jeremy Reichberg and NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Harrington are now facing corruption charges
Reichberg and another businessman spent more than $100,000 bribing NYPD officers in exchange for favors, US Attorney Preet Bharara said
By CLEMENCE MICHALLON FOR DAILYMAIL.COMOther gifts included a two-night stay at a hotel in Rome for Grant worth more than $1,000, contracting work in his home worth about $12,000 and jewelry, the court papers state.
Meanwhile authorities said Harrington accepted tens of thousands of dollars worth of private security work for a company he helped manage unofficially, hotel rooms in Chicago for him and his family worth more than $6,000, and dinners worth thousands of dollars.
In exchange, the indictment says, Grant and Harrington arranged police escorts for the two businessmen, diverted police resources to investigate their private matters and helped them get VIP access to parades and other events in New York City.
Grant helped the two men avoid tickets after being pulled over by officers by giving them cards, authorities said.
He also helped Reichberg to obtain a gun license from the NYPD and tried to do the same for Rechnitz, the US Attorney's Office said.
NYPD Sergeant David Villanueva was also arrested on Monday and charged with receiving cash bribes to expedite and approve gun licenses.
Authorities also unveiled the guilty plea of officer Richard Ochetal, who has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for the approval of gun license applications and is now cooperating with investigation.
Both Reichberg and Rechnitz have contributed heavily to Mayor de Blasio's campaign.
The mayor hasn't been implicated in any wrongdoing.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3653678/High-end-prostitute-called-Candi-received-10-000-accompany-NYPD-officers-fundraisers-Bill-Blasio-private-jet-Super-Bowl-weekend-Las-Vegas.html
High-end prostitute called Candi 'received $10,000 to accompany NYPD officers and de Blasio donors on a private jet for a Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas'
The prostitute was hired to spend the trip with Deputy Inspector James Grant, a detective friend and two businessmen in 2013, authorities said
Grant and others 'took advantage of her services', according to indictment
The jet cost $59,000 and Candi slept in Grant's room, the document states
Grant, businessman Jeremy Reichberg and NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Harrington are now facing corruption charges
Reichberg and another businessman spent more than $100,000 bribing NYPD officers in exchange for favors, US Attorney Preet Bharara said
PUBLISHED: 23:44 EST, 21 June 2016 | UPDATED: 02:10 EST, 22 June 2016
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[Posted June 21, 2016 9:10 PM ET]
Jeremy Reichberg
Photo: Reuters
[From article]
[From article]
Cops shut down a lane in the Lincoln Tunnel so a visiting businessman could be escorted through it at the behest of a major de Blasio fundraiser, federal prosecutors charged Monday.
The outrageous move was revealed as part of damning criminal indictments unveiled Monday against four NYPD officers and the shady “fixer’’who allegedly arranged it.
The stunning arrests marked the first time cops have been charged in the sweeping 3½-year corruption investigation rocking the department and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, which is being probed for its fundraising.
Jona Rechnitz
Photo: Baruch Ezagui/collive.com
Federal prosecutors allege that the civilian behind the closure, Borough Park businessman Jeremy Reichberg, and his pal, real estate investor Jona Rechnitz, spent more than $100,000 on police bribes between 2012 and 2015.
“They got, in effect, a private police force for themselves and their friends — effectively they got cops on call,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said.
The criminal indictments alleged that in one instance, “Reichberg, using his connections in local law enforcement agencies, was able to arrange for the closure of a lane in the Lincoln Tunnel and a police escort down that lane for a businessman visiting the United States.”
It was unclear when the shutdown occurred, but law enforcement sources said the request did not go through official channels and there was no documentation of it, suggesting it could have been orchestrated in the middle of the night.
Bharara said the busted NYPD officials accepted bribes that included costly trips and romps with a prostitute.
Deputy Chief Michael Harrington, Deputy Inspector James Grant and Sgt. David Villanueva were all arrested at their homes at 6 a.m., prosecutors said.
A fourth cop, Officer Richard Ochetal, had already pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for expediting gun permit applications, according to court papers.
“It is a heartbreaking thing,’’ Bharara said at a press conference announcing the charges. “An officer who betrays his badge betrays every honorable officer.’’
The damning criminal indictments reveal just how influential Reichberg and Rechnitz became through their department connections.
With Rechnitz’s help, Reichberg arranged free “flights, hotel rooms, prostitutes, expensive meals, home improvements, and prime seats to sporting events, among other things,” for the cops, court documents say.
In exchange, Grant and Harrington arranged police escorts for the businessmen, handled their personal business disputes, gave them VIP access to events such as New Year’s Eve and the Marathon and provided them with NYPD cards that got them out of traffic tickets, prosecutors allege.
Reichberg was even caught on an early 2015 wiretap indicating that his NYPD connections were so tight that he “was dispensing advice on promotions to members of the NYPD and taking steps to facilitate promotions.’’
http://nypost.com/2016/06/20/shady-businessman-bribed-cops-to-close-lincoln-tunnel-lane-feds/
Shady businessman bribed cops to close Lincoln Tunnel lane: feds
By Jamie Schram, Shawn Cohen, Kaja Whitehouse and Danika Fears
New York Post
June 20, 2016 | 11:03pm
The outrageous move was revealed as part of damning criminal indictments unveiled Monday against four NYPD officers and the shady “fixer’’who allegedly arranged it.
The stunning arrests marked the first time cops have been charged in the sweeping 3½-year corruption investigation rocking the department and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, which is being probed for its fundraising.
Jona RechnitzPhoto: Baruch Ezagui/collive.com
Federal prosecutors allege that the civilian behind the closure, Borough Park businessman Jeremy Reichberg, and his pal, real estate investor Jona Rechnitz, spent more than $100,000 on police bribes between 2012 and 2015.
“They got, in effect, a private police force for themselves and their friends — effectively they got cops on call,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said.
The criminal indictments alleged that in one instance, “Reichberg, using his connections in local law enforcement agencies, was able to arrange for the closure of a lane in the Lincoln Tunnel and a police escort down that lane for a businessman visiting the United States.”
It was unclear when the shutdown occurred, but law enforcement sources said the request did not go through official channels and there was no documentation of it, suggesting it could have been orchestrated in the middle of the night.
Bharara said the busted NYPD officials accepted bribes that included costly trips and romps with a prostitute.
Deputy Chief Michael Harrington, Deputy Inspector James Grant and Sgt. David Villanueva were all arrested at their homes at 6 a.m., prosecutors said.
A fourth cop, Officer Richard Ochetal, had already pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for expediting gun permit applications, according to court papers.
“It is a heartbreaking thing,’’ Bharara said at a press conference announcing the charges. “An officer who betrays his badge betrays every honorable officer.’’
The damning criminal indictments reveal just how influential Reichberg and Rechnitz became through their department connections.
With Rechnitz’s help, Reichberg arranged free “flights, hotel rooms, prostitutes, expensive meals, home improvements, and prime seats to sporting events, among other things,” for the cops, court documents say.
In exchange, Grant and Harrington arranged police escorts for the businessmen, handled their personal business disputes, gave them VIP access to events such as New Year’s Eve and the Marathon and provided them with NYPD cards that got them out of traffic tickets, prosecutors allege.
Reichberg was even caught on an early 2015 wiretap indicating that his NYPD connections were so tight that he “was dispensing advice on promotions to members of the NYPD and taking steps to facilitate promotions.’’
http://nypost.com/2016/06/20/shady-businessman-bribed-cops-to-close-lincoln-tunnel-lane-feds/
Shady businessman bribed cops to close Lincoln Tunnel lane: feds
By Jamie Schram, Shawn Cohen, Kaja Whitehouse and Danika Fears
New York Post
June 20, 2016 | 11:03pm
