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Another Top NYPD Officer Tied To Corruption Scandal Trying To Retire

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Another top NYPD officer is trying to retire, rather than face questions in a corruption scandal.

CBS2's Dick Brennan reported NYPD Deputy Chief David Colon, commanding officer of the NYPD Brooklyn Housing, had been transferred after his name surfaced in the FBI's gift-for-favors investigation.

Colon allegedly had close ties to Harlem restaurant owner Hamlet Peralta, who's facing charges connected to a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.

Colon's union chief said he wants to quit to spend more time with his family.

However, by retiring now, Colon avoids having to answer questions from internal affairs.

"The police commission does not have the authority to physically prevent any officer in the department from filing from their retirement," Larry Byrne, deputy commission for Legal Matters, said. "That is their right."

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton now has 30 days to decide whether to let Colon retire in good standing.

Inspector James Grant also put in his papers this week. Grant is linked to Jeremy Reichberg, the Borough Park businessman suspected of bribing officers.

"We're going to continue the investigation notwithstanding that Inspector Grant has put his papers in to retire and as the police commissioner said before, we're going to go where the evidence takes us with regard to every officer involved in the investigation," Byrne said.

It's believed that other top officers under investigation may also file their retirement papers.

The department is expecting criminal indictments soon.

Bratton has the right to let officers retire, discipline them or fire them.

Grant is one month short of his 20 years on the job. If he is fired now, he will lose a big chunk of his pension.

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