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Busting a Cop at the Local Starbucks
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 4, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 4, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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From the creepy news division: An NYPD officer was arrested for "attempting to engage minors in sexual exchanges over the Internet." And what's more, he was a youth officer, working with troubled youngsters in Queens. Officer Michael Costello's Internet activities were discovered when police were doing a routine investigation in Internet criminal activity; then Internal Affairs got involved. Officer Costello had been trolling around AOL chatrooms, so the police devised a sting to lure him to a Queens Boulevard Starbucks (not just for coffee anymore!) by saying a 14 year-old boy would meet him there. There, Officer Costello was arrested - and found with "lubricant and condoms" in his possession. As to be expected, people in the community were shocked, saying Officer Costello had been a great guy.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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