In a recent turn of events, a former NYPD officer and the operator of an accident victim call center have entered guilty pleas in a bribery scheme cruxed on exploiting traffic accident victims' personal data. Suzette Trimmingham, the ex-NYPD traffic safety officer, and Mervin Rhymes, the call center owner, admitted to their roles in a conspiracy that converted sensitive information into hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of bribes.
Trimmingham entered her guilty plea first, appearing before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl on Wednesday, followed by Rhymes, who entered his plea yesterday before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. This Office has long upheld a resilience against corruption, a fact reverberated by Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for that Southern District of New York, who held, "Their pleas highlight this Office's commitment to pursuing those, including members of law enforcement, who seek to profit by abusing their positions of public trust."
Case details reveal that from early 2020 to mid-2024, Trimmingham improperly used her law enforcement access to obtain police accident reports (PARs) containing personal information about accident victims. These data were accessed not as part of her official duties, but for personal benefit. Even while off-duty or on vacation, she continued to transmit the sensitive information to Rhymes, her domestic partner. The purpose was to support Rhymes’s business, which sold the victims' information for profit through legal and medical referrals.
What's the price of privacy in this scheme? Allegedly, at least $900,000, as Trimmingham and Rhymes have made from their operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Michael Alfonso, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York, emphasized the gravity of this breach of trust: "Suzette Trimmingham exploited her position of public trust and in turn profited handsomely, alongside her domestic partner Mervin Rhymes, by targeting victims of recent vehicle accidents."
Now, with their confessions secured, both Trimmingham and Rhymes face the prospect of up to five years in prison. Sentencing is on the agenda with Trimmingham slated for October 8, at 4:30 p.m. and Rhymes at 11:30 a.m. on the same day. While the maximum sentences are set by Congress, the final determination will rest in the judges' hands. The Southern District of New York’s Public Corruption Unit is managing the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connie L. Dang and Rebecca T. Dell leading the prosecution.
