NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED OF SUBMITTING PHONY DOCUMENTS TO PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU IN ORDER TO AVOID PAYING FINES ON PARKING TICKETS

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 37 year old Bronx man, who until earlier this week was a New York City Police Officer, has been convicted of one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the 1st degree, a Class “E” felony offense.

Patrick Brown pled guilty to the single count before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett who set sentencing for Monday, November 15, 2004 in Part M60. Under terms of the plea agreement Brown, who resigned from the NYPD last Tuesday, will be sentenced to five years probation.

Brown’s conviction stems from half a dozen Administrative Law Hearings at the Parking Violations Bureau, from 1999 through 2000, regarding summonses for parking tickets that were issued to his car. Brown, on each occasion, told the judge that he had been forced to park illegally because his car had stopped running and had to be pushed to the side of the road until arrangements were made to have it towed and repaired. As proof of his testimony, Brown would produce a copy of an invoice from a service station for towing and repairs which resulted in a dismissal of the summons.

The matter was referred to the New York City Department of Finance for investigation when the pattern of dismissals aroused the suspicion of one of the Administrative Law Judges. Investigators followed the paper trail to the R&M Auto Service Center at 1225 East 233rd Street, the Bronx. The owner denied that the receipts had been issued by his business. Investigators further learned that in some instances, the defendant had submitted copies of the same receipt to the Parking Violations Bureau after altering the date on which he had received a particular summons. The Department of Finance then referred the matter to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Donald Levin of the Investigations Division.