Florida-based criminal defense attorney David Macey has been indicted on charges of bribery and fraud, as announced by the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew Podolsky and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the FBI. The indictment was unsealed in Manhattan federal court detailing Macey's alleged crimes, which include paying off a senior Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent to obtain sensitive law enforcement information for his own professional gain.
Macey is accused of using this inside information to recruit and represent clients, leveraging sealed indictments and forthcoming arrests to enrich his criminal defense practice. The corrupt exchange, in which tens of thousands of dollars were reportedly paid, was intended to shield Macey from direct involvement by using intermediaries like a former DEA Task Force Officer, Edwin Pagan III. "As alleged, David Macey provided secret payments to a senior DEA special agent in exchange for access to sensitive information that Macey could use to enrich himself, including information regarding sealed indictments and impending arrests," Podolsky stated in a release by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment suggests that Macey and an unnamed private investigator began bribing the DEA agent after the investigator retired from the DEA, and the initial $2,500 bribe was concealed through a company owned by a family member of the agent. This pattern of shady transactions reportedly included a $50,000 payment made in January 2019 towards the agent's condominium purchase, and other substantial amounts funneled through companies and intermediaries. In exchange, the DEA special agent, referred to as Agent-1, is said to have repeatedly accessed the DEA's Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (NADDIS) to provide Macey with crucial information about DEA investigations.
The charges against Macey are steep, with maximum sentencing possibilities that include up to 20 years in prison for counts of honest services wire fraud and up to 15 years for receiving or paying a bribe. Co-conspirator Pagan faces additional charges of perjury for lying under oath in a related trial held in November 2023, charges that were unsealed in November 2024. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and Mat Andrews are tasked with the prosecution of the case, whose commitment to unearth such corruption was highlighted by Podolsky, "This prosecution underscores this Office’s commitment to combatting bribery – especially bribery that compromises law enforcement’s duty to protect and serve the public," as outlined in their official press release.
The investigative work leading to the indictment was praised by the U.S. Attorney's Office, singling out the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General for their efforts. The DEA's Office of Professional Responsibility also received thanks for its cooperation in this matter. Sentencing for Macey and Pagan depends on the judicial discretion of the U.S. district judge Jennifer H. Reardon, who will oversee the proceeding.
