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NYPD lieutenant stole more than $64K in fake overtime, prosecutors say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 22, 2025
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Mindaugas Dulinskas/Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 22, 2025
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An NYPD lieutenant with 19 years on the job was arrested early Wednesday for allegedly falsifying overtime records and stealing more than $64,000 from the department over the course of several months, according to documents filed in court by the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Thomas Fabrizi, 43, was taken into custody in Lower Manhattan and charged with grand larceny, defrauding the government and eight counts of falsifying business records, the NYPD said.
He was arraigned Wednesday morning and released on his own recognizance, according to DA Alvin Bragg’s office. Neither Fabrizi nor his listed attorney Hugo Ortega immediately responded to inquiries.
Fabrizi’s arrest comes as the NYPD faces increased scrutiny over its overtime practices, following allegations that former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey sexually abused a subordinate officer in exchange for overtime pay. Maddrey has denied the allegations. Police overtime has surged to record levels under Mayor Eric Adams, who is a former NYPD officer, Gothamist previously reported.
Prosecutors said Fabrizi, a lieutenant detective commander in the NYPD’s major case squad, submitted overtime slips for work he never did, including logging overtime hours for when he was driving from Manhattan to his home in Rockland County, and for time he spent at home after work.
He was also accused of driving an unmarked SUV assigned to the major case squad for his commute, which prosecutors said he was not allowed to use for non-NYPD business.
Fabrizi allegedly submitted overtime slips for periods when he was working freelance shifts at New York-based McCann Protective Services, where he provided security for corporate clients and upscale events, according to court records. He never got proper authorization from the NYPD to do that work, the documents stated.
Fabrizi’s false overtime claims ran from July 2023 to February 2024, prosecutors said, and he yielded more than $10,000 in some months.
Fabrizi was stripped of his gun and badge and transferred to a desk job at the Manhattan courts in March of last year while internal investigators reviewed his overtime pay, the New York Daily News reported.
Fabrizi formerly worked in the NYPD’s 17th Precinct in Midtown and narcotics division in Manhattan North, according to online department records. Public records show he faced five complaints for misconduct, with one substantiated from a police stop in 2009.
City records show he made roughly $310,000 in compensation last year, logging nearly 1,100 overtime hours, for which he was paid about $130,000.
The NYPD Lieutenants Benevolent Association union did not immediately return requests for comment.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Andrew Giambrone contributed reporting.
Tagged
new york city
nypd
public safety
manhattan
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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