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Nassau County resident Edward Mullins, age 60, of Port Washington, the former president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), which represents all current and former servants in the NYPD, was charged in federal court with fraud in connection to a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.
US Attorney Damian Williams said that Mullins allegedly ran the scheme through the SBA through the submission of fraudulent expense reports.
It is alleged that for nearly two decades, between 2002 and October 2021, Mullins served as the president of the SBA, where he was responsible for promoting the general welfare of the union’s membership.
However, Williams said that instead, Mullins orchestrated a scheme to steal from the union and its more than 13,000 active and retired members.
“As alleged, Edward Mullins, the former President of the SBA, abused his position of trust and authority to fund a lavish lifestyle that was paid for by the monthly dues of the thousands of hard-working Sergeants of the NYPD,” Williams said.
“Mullins submitted hundreds of phony expense reports to further his scheme, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA.”
The indictment states that between 2017 and October 2021, Mullins used his personal credit card to pay for meals at high-end restaurants and to purchase luxury personal items, and later submitted false and inflated expense reports to the SBA, seeking reimbursement for illegitimate SBA expenses.
Altogether Mullins was reimbursed for more than $1 million in expenses from the SBA, the bulk of which was fraudulently obtained.
“As public servants, members of the SBA pay dues to a union that’s supposed to represent their best interests,” FBI New York Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll said.
“As SBA president, Mullins allegedly went above and beyond to best serve his own interests. Our NYPD sergeants expect and deserve more from their union leadership than they received.”
Mullins was charged with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. No return court date has been announced.
“Ed Mullins allegedly violated the ethics and rules of this department, the trust of 13,000 Sergeants, active and retired whom he represented, and the laws of the United States,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
“The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, has detectives assigned to the FBI’s Public Corruption Unit and works as a team with agents on matters involving the NYPD.”
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