BROOKLYN MAN ARRESTED FOR BRIBERY IN CONNECTION WITH NYPD GUN LICENSES
Alex Lichtenstein, a/k/a ‘Shaya,’ a member of the Borough Park Shomrim, a volunteer Orthodox Jewish patrol society, was arrested and charged in Manhattan federal court with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with his efforts to pay bribes to obtain gun licenses through the NYPD’s License Division.
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court, Lichtenstein offered an NYPD officer $6,000 per license application to help get gun licenses approved through the License Division. Lichtenstein boasted that he had obtained gun licenses for approximately 150 individuals in the past, and that his customers needed his services because the License Division would otherwise reject applications ‘for the biggest stupidity,’ such as a history of moving violations.
Lichtenstein’s bribery scheme allowed a man to obtain a gun who made a threat against someone’s life. ‘This case illustrates why the requirements for obtaining a legal gun license are necessary,’ said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriquez.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, ‘Corruption in any part of government cuts at the very fabric of our society. But it’s particularly damaging when it undermines public safety.’ Bharara added, ‘I thank the FBI and the New York City Police Department, particularly its Internal Affairs Bureau, for their dedication and commitment to this ongoing and important investigation.’
NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton said, ‘This case was developed as part of a long-term joint investigation by the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office. As we have previously stated, this investigation will continue to go where the leads take us.’
Lichtenstein was arrested by FBI agents and officers from the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau on April 17, 2016, in Pomona, New York, and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman in Manhattan this afternoon.
Related Federal Cases
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- Tow Truck Operator and Car Dealer Sentenced for Car Theft Scheme · New York
- Florida Gun Dealer Lawrence Destefano Indicted in Ghost Gun Ring · New York
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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