
Law enforcement authorities have conducted searches at the home of Jeffrey Maddrey, the former Chief of Department of the New York City Police Department, according to a social media announcement by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The searches come in the wake of allegations that Maddrey traded sex for overtime with a subordinate. Tisch indicated that Maddrey, following his resignation last month, has been suspended and that the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is collaborating with other agencies in the investigation. The specifics of these cooperating agencies remain undisclosed, though earlier statements pointed to involvement by the Manhattan district attorney's office, as reported by Gothamist.
Jeffrey Maddrey's suspension occurred on Thursday, noted ahead of law enforcement executing search warrants at multiple locations. While Maddrey resigned amidst the swirling allegations, his suspension seems to add a layer of formality to his separation from the department. The nature of the suspension remains unclear since Maddrey had already stepped down, a question CBS News New York reached out for clarification on. Jessica Tisch redirected all further inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, as detailed in the report by CBS News New York.
Lt. Quathisha Epps has lodged a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing Maddrey of pressuring her into unwanted sexual actions in exchange for overtime work. Allegedly, this included acts occurring in the office space. Following a refusal of his advances, Epps claims retaliation from Maddrey, resulting in a manipulated Monthly Overtime Report, which spurred a criminal and internal probe against her.
Defending Maddrey, his attorney Lambros Lambrou has vehemently denied the allegations at a news conference, suggesting that Epps, who had filed for her own retirement, was trying to cover her tracks for unauthorized excessive overtime. "Lieutenant Epps got caught with her hand in cookie jar and is trying to deflect her wrongdoing by making these allegations against Chief Maddrey," Lambrou told reporters, as CBS News New York reports. Amid these back and forth claims, investigations continue, helmed jointly by the NYPD, the Department of Investigation, and the Manhattan DA's office.
With Maddrey now formally out of the picture, Chief of Patrol John Chell has been tasked with acting in his stead as interim chief. As the Department endeavors to navigate this scandal, the waiting eyes of New York residents are affixed to the integrity and transparency of its police force. Meanwhile, attempts to reach federal prosecutors and FBI agents for comments by Gothamist have not been successful till now.