Chief Texted About Tickets, Gems: Feds

December 17, 2018

Joel Weiss, Of Counsel at Farrell Fritz, is quoted in this article.

Floral Park Police Commissioner Stephen McAllister discussed intervening in arrests and repeatedly asked alleged fixer Jeremy Reichberg for help getting items ranging from an emerald pendant to a TV and Billy Joel tickets, according to text messages introduced last week at the NYPD corruption trial in a federal court in Manhattan.

McAllister, an NYPD inspector before becoming Floral Park chief in 2010, is not charged, but prosecutors have alleged he is one of several uncharged police officials who provided favors in return for gifts — including jewelry, meals and travel — from Reichberg and crony Jona Rechnitz, a government witness.

McAllister has denounced Rechnitz as a “liar,” and his lawyer Joel Weiss said the chief received no free items from Reichberg or Rechnitz and did not act improperly with regard to the carpet business owner.

“As with everything else, Steve McAllister did nothing wrong,” Weiss said Saturday. “The U.S. attorney has been far from shy about bringing charges in this investigation. Appropriately, they have charged Steve with nothing, and that speaks volumes.”

 

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