Bribes for handgun permits, NYPD

[wjackcooper]

Searched and did not see this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/19/ny...-licenses.html

http://nypost.com/2016/04/18/shomrim-leader-busted-amid-nypd-corruption-probe/

Regards
Jack

 

[wolfwood]

anyone really surprised?

 

[Doctor_M]

 

[BeoBill]

Say it ain't so!!!!!!

 

[zoostation]

I'm only surprised if there's something official in New York or New Jersey you can't buy.

 

[fidelity]

Searched and did not see this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/19/ny...-licenses.html

http://nypost.com/2016/04/18/shomrim-leader-busted-amid-nypd-corruption-probe/

Regards
Jack

Appreciate the heads up .... had missed the story. The first link was broken ... here is the complete link ... with some salient bits from the article ... others might be interested in what's emboldened ... the reporter is not explicitly connecting the NYC mayor to the illegal handgun permits ... but may be implying that the guy involved in getting these permits is a donor or has another connection (looks like something is being held back from being reported right now, other than mentioning that certain investigations may be linked) ...

Man Arrested on Charges of Improperly Obtaining Handgun Licenses

A member of a volunteer security force in Borough Park, Brooklyn, was charged on Monday with offering bribes to New York Police Department officials to obtain handgun permits — the first arrest directly linked to the widening federal investigation into police corruption and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s fund-raising efforts.

...

The allegations that the handgun licenses, particularly full- and limited-carry permits, which are difficult to obtain in New York City, were being sold as part of a corruption scheme has prompted a top-to-bottom review of the License Division, the police said

In one instance, a man whose license application fee was paid for with Mr. Lichtenstein’s credit card was approved for a full-carry permit in July 2013, despite a forgery arrest, four domestic violence complaints, three car accidents and 10 moving violations. They were all red flags that could have barred him from obtaining a permit. Months later, a complaint was made to the police that Mr. Lichtenstein used his connections to get the man a license despite his history of domestic violence, but it apparently was not investigated, the criminal complaint said.

The broader federal corruption investigation focusing on fund-raising by Mr. de Blasio’s campaign has centered on two businessmen with ties to him, Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg. The two men donated and raised money for his election campaign and for a nonprofit connected to his causes, people briefed on the matter have said. The inquiry has led federal agents to interview roughly 20 senior Police Department officials, several people briefed on the matter said.

The case against Mr. Lichtenstein is being prosecuted by the same three assistant United States attorneys assigned to the fund-raising inquiry, Russell Capone, Martin Bell and Kan Nawaday. All are assigned to the Public Corruption Unit in the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Lichtenstein came under scrutiny this month after he approached a police officer he knew and offered him cash to help him obtain gun licenses, the complaint said. The officer contacted the Internal Affairs Bureau and recorded a subsequent meeting with Mr. Lichtenstein, who was so nervous he patted the officer down, looking for a recording device, and telling him he would rather meet him “in your underpants and undershirt.”

After offering the officer $6,000 per permit and estimating he had obtained 150 permits over the course of a year, Mr. Lichtenstein took out his calculator and multiplied $6,000 by 150, showing the officer that he stood to make $900,000 a year, the complaint said. [note: the NY Post article provided by the OP reported that Lichtenstein himself was receiving $18,000 per permit - healthy profit as he was only passing on one-third to the officer]

The complaint said that Mr. Lichtenstein had previously dealt with the sergeant, who was not identified in the complaint, and that he told the officer he needed a new contact because the commander of the License Division got upset after hearing that Mr. Lichtenstein was “being paid so much money.” A person briefed on the matter said the sergeant was Sgt. Villanueva. The commander, Mr. Lichtenstein said, was concerned people would think he “had his hand in the cookie pot.”

...

Mr. Lichtenstein, a member of the Shomrim, a volunteer Orthodox Jewish patrol society in Borough Park, was released on a personal recognizance bond of $500,000. During his arrest, two licensed firearms were taken away from Mr. Lichtenstein; on Monday, a magistrate judge, Henry Pitman of Federal District Court in Manhattan, ordered Mr. Lichtenstein to surrender all firearms, including a shotgun that was still in his possession.

The mayor was asked about the arrest at the end of an unrelated news conference on Monday; Mr. de Blasio did not acknowledge the inquiry. Before that, he said that any person accused of wrongdoing “should suffer the consequences.”

“I believe that anyone who does something wrong should suffer the consequences, as some of our police individual chiefs are at this point,” he said.

 

[Art3]

So what I'm taking away from this is that it's easier to get a permit in NYC than in MD? ...or, I guess it used to be...

 

[nedsurf]

Too bad all that money could not go towards defeating the oppressive NY and NYC gun laws. I guess the orthodox community only wants to be in the closet gun owners.

 

[PharaohF4]

Lichtenstein’s credit card was approved for a full-carry permit in July 2013, despite a forgery arrest, four domestic violence complaints, three car accidents and 10 moving violations. They were all red flags that could have barred him from obtaining a permit.

so getting into an accident or speeding are considered "red flags" hmmmm

 

[press1280]

Lichtenstein’s credit card was approved for a full-carry permit in July 2013, despite a forgery arrest, four domestic violence complaints, three car accidents and 10 moving violations. They were all red flags that could have barred him from obtaining a permit.

so getting into an accident or speeding are considered "red flags" hmmmm

One of the articles referenced others using his services because they believed (rightly or wrongly) that they would be denied traffic infractions alone.

 

[jimbobborg]

This is actually in the Water Cooler.

 

[Rack&Roll]

Too bad all that money could not go towards defeating the oppressive NY and NYC gun laws. I guess the orthodox community only wants to be in the closet gun owners.

Two choices: pay $6,000 and get a permit, or donate $6,000 only to have Bloomberg do a 10X match to offset out your donation, and no one gets a permit.

They are not stupid.

 

[fidelity]

Understand your point, but they were actually putting up $18,000 each for a permit. The middleman with connections was pocketing $12,000 and then greasing the rail with a $6,000 bribe to an officer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Kman]

I'd go $2,500 if I had the right connection in MD.

 

[BeoBill]

I'd go $2,500 if I had the right connection in MD.

We're getting to halfway there now with permitting fees and training costs. Add in a figure for YOUR time and I'll bet we're pretty close already.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Two choices: pay $6,000 and get a permit, or donate $6,000 only to have Bloomberg do a 10X match to offset out your donation, and no one gets a permit.

They are not stupid.

So, in NY paying $6,000 = G&S? Wonder if they'd consider it in the PRMD?

 

[marcusrn]

I received CCW in San Diego County as long as I donated $250. yearly to the "Honorary Deputy Sheriffs Association". When I stopped donating my licence was not renewed.
This is all in District Court documents pertaining to Peruta et al vs Sheriff William Gore.
Proud co plaintiff in Peruta vs San Diego
Mark Cleary

 

[nedsurf]

Yeah, I get their pragmatic thought process they have to take being in NYC. It might also be indicative of what Mr. H refers to as the "I've got mine" mentality. It would be nice to be able to call upon that community as allies but I suspect some do not want "the masses" to exercise the same rights as they are trying to. Since there is a sizable orthodox community in MD, anyone have thoughts on ideas to reach out to fight for the same goal?

 

[Stoveman]

Yeah, I get their pragmatic thought process they have to take being in NYC. It might also be indicative of what Mr. H refers to as the "I've got mine" mentality. It would be nice to be able to call upon that community as allies but I suspect some do not want "the masses" to exercise the same rights as they are trying to. Since there is a sizable orthodox community in MD, anyone have thoughts on ideas to reach out to fight for the same goal?

Good luck. With few exceptions I find it perplexing and disturbing that a people who little more than a generation ago faced one of the most horrific atrocities known to man and still vote as a bloc for those that would disarm them.

 

[Biggfoot44]

For historic background :

Circa 1970, the going rate was $3k directly to Precinct Lt for a NYC carry permit. Which was actually fairly pragmatic. The other primary avenue for those not having personal friends in the right places was to initiate a class action lawsuit, and the city would then issue Permit to lead plaintiff just before trial to moot the case. Legal fees would run at least $3k at the time. So same result quicker and cheaper to just pay directly.

I just checked CPI numbers, and adjusted for inflation, that would be about $7900 in today's money. So the Mordita reaching the person on the front line is on the low end of historical. It's all the supposed Anti-corruption measures that require layers of middlemen , run up the cost to the end user who needs/ strostrongly wishes the (net result), and creates a much larger total amount of graft.