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Infamous Sodomy Cop Justin Volpe Begs Pardon
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 15, 2008
Modified Dec 15, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 15, 2008
Modified Dec 15, 2008
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So how many years should a police officer spend in jail for sodomizing a handcuffed suspect with a broomstick? Justin Volpe, the cop who was convicted of torturing Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in a Brooklyn precinct in 1997 and who has been behind bars in a federal prison for nearly 12 years without any chance of parole, is petitioning the Justice Department for a reduced sentence. He's currently sentenced to 30 years, but letters from family, friends, and a priest pleading for leniency have been sent with his petition. (In 2004, GQ tagged along with Volpe's father, a retired NYPD cop, during depressing visits with his son.)
One sympathetic friend tells the Post, ""Just[in] was a wonderful kid who used to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving. What happened that day was 30 seconds of something that was unspeakable, horrible. But isn't 12 years enough?" New York officials say the average incarceration of a violent offender in state prison is 7½ years, and murderers serve an average 24 years. But the judge in Volpe's case sentenced him under a federal guideline that allows harsher penalties for cops. The request is currently being considered, and you can bet this year's alleged NYPD sodomite is watching the outcome of this very closely.
Tagged
abner louima
brooklyn
cop
jail
justin volpe
nyc
pardon
prison
release
sentence
sodomy
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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