Mixed Verdict For Ex-Suffolk Police Sergeant Accused Of Stealing During Traffic Stops
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A former Suffolk County police sergeant charged with stealing money from Hispanics during traffic stops has been cleared of most counts, including hate crimes.
As WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported, 52-year-old Scott Greene was acquitted of the most serious charge of grand larceny as a hate crime. The jury, however, did convict him of lesser larceny charges and misdemeanor official misconduct.
Defense attorney Scott Gross called the verdict a victory.
"We feel pretty good. The goal was always set out to show that this was not a hate crime," Gross said. "Although we have no burden, we knew that this case was overcharged and the jury agreed."
Greene, who has since retired from the department, was accused of pulling over six Hispanic drivers and stealing between $50 and $100 in cash from their wallets, then letting the men go. The incidents allegedly happened between 2010 and 2014.
At the start of the trial, Gross conceded Greene had taken $100 during a videotaped undercover sting operation in 2014, but denied that his client targeted Hispanics.
Gross said yes, his client committed that crime out of greed, but the witnesses in the other cases were lying.
"They all have financial motivations driven by a federal lawsuit," he said at the time.
Greene was ordered held without bond following the verdict. While he could have faced a sentence of 7 to 20 years if convicted of the most serious charge, he now only faces between 1 and 4 years when he is sentenced on Feb. 16.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
