Post by jmandmj on May 12, 2014 16:48:07 GMT -5
Michael Tedesco, ex-Nassau cop who visited mistresses on duty, pleads guilty
An ex-Nassau police officer whom authorities alleged had visited mistresses while on duty, delaying responses to 911 calls, pleaded guilty Monday to official misconduct charges.
Michael Tedesco had faced more than 100 criminal counts, including felony charges of tampering with and falsifying records, along with multiple misdemeanor counts of official misconduct.
Tedesco pleaded guilty to 75 counts of official misconduct and must give up $195,000 in termination pay, do 100 hours of community service and pay $3,700 in restitution, according to the Nassau district attorney's office.
"It's a strong conviction, given he's giving up his entire termination pay," said Shams Tarek, a spokesman for District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
Prosecutors also dismissed 29 felony charges against Tedesco, according to his attorney, Bruce Barket.
"It was a very fair, a very decent resolution of the charges he was facing," Barket said Monday.
Tedesco will keep his pension, won't have to go to jail, or serve probation, Barket said.
Barket said Tedesco would likely have not kept his termination pay because he resigned while facing internal department charges. He said Tedesco was ready for trial but "we were very appreciative of the DA's office negotiating at this late stage."
Prosecutors had said Tedesco, a Nassau police officer for 18 years, spent at least 80 shifts with mistresses instead of covering his beat.
They alleged he would tell supervisors he was on the way to crime scenes when he wasn't, once waiting six minutes to answer a call about a man having a heart attack.
Authorities have said Tedesco had faced up to 7 years in prison if a jury convicted him of the charges from a December 2012 indictment.
The married father of two abruptly resigned his job as an officer at the Seaford-based Seventh Precinct in April 2012 as internal affair investigators probed allegations he visited a mistress while on duty.
After Tedesco's arraignment, when he pleaded not guilty to the charges, one of his attorneys told reporters that the former officer didn't break the law and there was a difference between allegations of police disciplinary violations and criminal conduct.
An ex-Nassau police officer whom authorities alleged had visited mistresses while on duty, delaying responses to 911 calls, pleaded guilty Monday to official misconduct charges.
Michael Tedesco had faced more than 100 criminal counts, including felony charges of tampering with and falsifying records, along with multiple misdemeanor counts of official misconduct.
Tedesco pleaded guilty to 75 counts of official misconduct and must give up $195,000 in termination pay, do 100 hours of community service and pay $3,700 in restitution, according to the Nassau district attorney's office.
"It's a strong conviction, given he's giving up his entire termination pay," said Shams Tarek, a spokesman for District Attorney Kathleen Rice.
Prosecutors also dismissed 29 felony charges against Tedesco, according to his attorney, Bruce Barket.
"It was a very fair, a very decent resolution of the charges he was facing," Barket said Monday.
Tedesco will keep his pension, won't have to go to jail, or serve probation, Barket said.
Barket said Tedesco would likely have not kept his termination pay because he resigned while facing internal department charges. He said Tedesco was ready for trial but "we were very appreciative of the DA's office negotiating at this late stage."
Prosecutors had said Tedesco, a Nassau police officer for 18 years, spent at least 80 shifts with mistresses instead of covering his beat.
They alleged he would tell supervisors he was on the way to crime scenes when he wasn't, once waiting six minutes to answer a call about a man having a heart attack.
Authorities have said Tedesco had faced up to 7 years in prison if a jury convicted him of the charges from a December 2012 indictment.
The married father of two abruptly resigned his job as an officer at the Seaford-based Seventh Precinct in April 2012 as internal affair investigators probed allegations he visited a mistress while on duty.
After Tedesco's arraignment, when he pleaded not guilty to the charges, one of his attorneys told reporters that the former officer didn't break the law and there was a difference between allegations of police disciplinary violations and criminal conduct.
