Heather Busch, Robert Hassett, Robert Smith, Bribery Scheme, New York 2023

Three Former NYPD Officers Charged with Towing Company Bribery Scheme in New York

Heather Busch, Robert Hassett, and Robert Smith, three former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers, have been charged with a bribery scheme involving a towing company in New York. According to a nine-count indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn on April 4, 2023, the defendants are accused of using interstate facilities to commit bribery and conspiring to violate the Travel Act.

Smith is also charged with attempting to transport at least one kilogram of heroin and possessing a firearm during the commission of that crime. The defendants were arrested on April 4, 2023 and will be arraigned before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak later that day.

Mark J. Lesko, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, NYPD, announced the charges.

The indictment alleges that Smith, Hassett, and Busch, who were assigned to the 105th Precinct in Queens, directed damaged vehicles to a licensed tow trucking and automobile repair business in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash bribe payments. Smith allegedly bypassed the NYPD’s Directed Accident Response Program (DARP) and directed damaged vehicles to the business, which was operated by an individual.

The scheme continued until at least June 2017, when Smith temporarily suspended his participation. Smith resumed his participation in the scheme in November 2019 and continued to steer vehicles damaged in automobile accidents to the business in exchange for cash. Busch joined the scheme in March 2020, at Smith’s invitation, and began steering vehicles damaged in automobile accidents to the business in exchange for cash bribe payments.

The defendants are accused of violating their oaths of office and the public trust by trading their badges for cash payments. The case highlights the importance of holding public servants accountable for their actions and ensuring that they uphold the law and protect the public.

The charges against Heather Busch, Robert Hassett, and Robert Smith are a reminder that no one is above the law, and that corruption of any kind will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The NYPD and the FBI stand together in their commitment to upholding the law and protecting the public.

The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.

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