Scott Greene, the former Suffolk County police sergeant who was arrested for deliberately pulling over Latino motorists and stealing cash from them is now facing an additional 60 charges.
After 20 additional victims stepped forward, Greene now faces fourth-degree grand larceny as a hate crime, fourth-degree grand larceny, and official misconduct. The original indictment included six counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree as a hate crime and one charge of petit larceny as a hate crime.
Greene retired from his post in April.
According to Newsday, District Attorney Thomas Spota credited the assistance of Latino advocacy groups in helping new victims come forward and testify before a grand jury. He said the investigation is ongoing and is still willing to hear testimonies from other victims.
Irma Solis, Long Island organizer for Make the Road New York thanked Spota for taking the victims seriously, but disagreed with his assertion that Greene acted alone. She told Newsday that it was “very difficult to believe” that other officers were unaware of his actions.
Greene was arrested during an undercover sting operation on January 30, after a half-dozen victims came forward to report the sergeant’s crimes. During the sting, surveillance video recorded him taking $100 from an envelope placed by the operator of the vehicle, who was a DA Squad Hispanic undercover detective.
Greene pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on bail.
To report a crime, contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at 631-775-2077, or Irma Solis at Make The Road in Brentwood at 631-512-1587, or Long Island Wins at 516-506-3447.
