Accused cop-briber Jeremy Reichberg and cohort Jona Rechnitz donned Santa hats and cruised around in a black Aston Martin convertible to deliver Christmas grifts to officers on Staten Island, according to videos and photos released Tuesday.
The pricey goodies, including Nintendo games and American Girl dolls, were delivered to Reichberg’s co-defendant, former NYPD Deputy Inspector James Grant, as well as retired cop Eric Rodriguez and already-convicted ex-Deputy Chief Michael Harrington, Rechnitz testified in Manhattan federal court.
“Ho, ho, ho!” Rechnitz says in the video.
Rechnitz explained that he wasn’t just channeling the jolly fat man — he was mocking one of Reichberg’s “competitors,” a man named “Abe” whom he described as also having high-level connections in the NYPD.
“You little ho,” he said of Abe in the clip.
In another video, the two men are seen driving up to a heavily protected 1 Police Plaza with ease while boasting about their ties to then-Chief of Department Philip Banks.
“We’re going to go park in the chief of department’s extra spot,” Rechnitz boasts in the video.
“Please salute us, officer, if you want to keep your job,” he adds snarkily as the men drive past a cop standing guard in the cold.
“Philip Banks is now chief of department, and we have full access,” Rechnitz explained of the statements on the witness stand.
Another photo showed Reichberg standing next to an underground parking spot for the police brass. Rechnitz says in the video that they “were parking, and then we’re going with the PC [Police Chief Banks] in his car to the ball-dropping,” referring to the New Year’s Eve Times Square crystal-ball-descent celebration, which the NYPD controls.
Rechnitz has already admitted to bribing cops and public officials, including some in City Hall.
He testified Tuesday against Reichberg, who’s on trial for bribing police officers.
Rechnitz said Reichberg had many city officials in his pocket and used those connections to charge pals who wanted to buy their way out of jury duty and land expedited building permits.
The ex-friend recalled taking advantage of Reichberg’s cozy connections soon after meeting him about a decade ago, realizing his new buddy might be able to help him get a special placard to park wherever he wanted, including in no-parking zones.
“Everybody in the city knows that parking is a hassle,” the real estate investor and jeweler shrugged on the stand.
Rechnitz said he quickly learned that Reichberg was using his city connections, including with court-officer union boss Dennis Quirk, to line his own pockets.
The witness claimed that Reichberg used Quirk to get people out of jury duty and got paid for it. Rechnitz did not say Quirk took any money.
Quirk, president of the New York State Court Officers Association, acknowledged to The Post on Tuesday that he helped Reichberg get people out of jury duty but said it was all based on legitimate adjournments and that no money was exchanged for the favors.
“I never got paid money from anybody,” Quirk said.
“If I can help somebody, I will help somebody.”
Meanwhile, Reichberg also had contacts with the city’s Department of Buildings, which he used to expedite housing permits for buddies, Rechnitz said.
Rechnitz didn’t say how much Reichberg earned pulling strings with city officials, but it emerged earlier at trial that he once charged $2,500 to get someone out of jail.
Lock e'm up.
ReplyDelete