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NYPD officer, call center owner plead guilty in bribery scheme targeting crash victims, DOJ says

By

Giulia Heyward

Published May 29, 2025

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An NYPD patrol vehicle near Union Square.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

By

Giulia Heyward

Published May 29, 2025

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A former NYPD traffic safety officer and the owner of a call center that targeted accident victims both pleaded guilty this week in a bribery scheme that federal officials said exploited people involved in car crashes, according to prosecutors.

Suzette Trimmingham, 54, admitted to sharing the identities and contact information of crash victims with Mervin Rhymes, 61, in exchange for cash and other valuables, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

Rhymes, who operated the call center, then referred the victims to doctors and lawyers, profiting from those referrals, authorities said.

“Trimmingham and Rhymes made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their scheme,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. “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.”

The scheme ran from January 2020 through June 2024 and netted the pair nearly $900,000, according to court records. Both defendants live in Queens, officials said.

Trimmingham pleaded guilty on Wednesday and Rhymes entered his plea on Thursday. They each face up to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, prosecutors said.

The NYPD said the officer retired in 2024. Attorney information for Trimmingham and Rhymes was not immediately available.

Tagged

new york city

public safety

queens

Giulia Heyward

Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.

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