The attorney for a man central to the case that sent a former Suffolk County police chief to prison filed a motion Wednesday to vacate the judgment against his client.
Christopher Loeb has pleaded guilty to grand larceny and drug possession, but his lawyer, Bruce Barket, told the judge that Loeb only pleaded guilty because he says members of the Suffolk Police Department committed perjury during pretrial hearings.
As News 12 has reported, former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke assaulted Loeb after he stole a duffel bag from Burke's police vehicle. Loeb has maintained that the bag contained pornography and sex toys. Burke was convicted of assaulting Loeb and orchestrating a cover-up.
For the first time, papers filed in state court have revealed that "numerous other members of the Suffolk County Police Department have been indicted, and have pleaded guilty, to crimes committed against Loeb in connection with this incident."
Barket says at least six officers and detectives have pleaded guilty, including others who testified at Loeb's suppression hearing.
Documents filed show that the identity of those who pleaded guilty have not yet been disclosed, and their files are currently sealed due to an ongoing investigation.
"You can't have someone arrested, have them beaten by chief of police, have the chief of police orchestrate a cover-up, and then have individual officers lie under oath at a hearing to determine which evidence should be admitted and what should be excluded," Barket says. "You have to vacate the conviction, and the case has to be dismissed."
The U.S. Attorney's Office would not confirm that other members of the Suffolk Police Department have been indicted or pleaded guilty in connection with the case. A spokesman for the police department said no current members had either, but did not comment on any former officers.