Central Islip, NY – The former chief of one of the country’s largest suburban police departments pleaded guilty Friday in New York in the beating of a suspect who stole sex toys and pornography from the officer’s SUV.
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Former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, 51, pleaded guilty on Long Island to violating civil rights and conspiracy to obstruct justice. It was part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
He is expected to get over four years in prison. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
The plea reflects “his deep desire to accept responsibility for his actions,” said a statement read by one of his attorneys, Nancy Bartling, outside court.
“He deeply regrets not being forthright,” she said, and he’s also “acknowledging his lack of judgment and failure of leadership.”
In a letter arguing against bail for Burke, prosecutors said the former police chief also threatened to kill the suspect with a heroin overdose and “went out of control” — punching, screaming and cursing — after the suspect called him a “pervert.” They said at least 11 current or former police officers and detectives testified before the grand jury that indicted Burke.
Someone broke into the chief’s department-issued SUV in 2012 and made off with a gun belt, handcuffs, magazines of ammunition, a box of cigars, humidor and a canvas bag that contained, among other items, sex toys and video pornography, authorities said.
Christopher Loeb was arrested and later pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released last summer. He has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from Burke and the police department.
Burke was arrested in December. He is being held without bail. Burke could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted at trial.
Burke resigned from the force in October after a 31-year career. Before being named chief in 2012, he worked as an investigator for the Suffolk County district attorney.
The Suffolk County Police Department, with more than 2,000 officers, is among the country’s 15 largest departments. It has responsibility for patrolling much of eastern Long Island.