Three Current, Former Nypd Officers From Long Island Charged In Bribery Scheme

Two NYPD officers and a retired officer from Long Island have been charged in federal court with running a bribery scheme that allegedly earned them thousands of dollars.

Three NYPD officers, one retired, from Long Island have been indicted for running a bribery scheme that earned them thousands of dollars.
Photo Credit: *Pixabay/QuinceCreative*

Kathy Reakes

05/11/2021 4:05 p.m.

The nine-count indictment was filed on Tuesday, May 11 charging Heather Busch, age 34, of Massapequa, Robert Hasset, age 36, of Farmingville, and Rober Smith, age 44, of Plainview, with five counts of using interstate facilities to commit bribery and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, said the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Smith is also charged with attempting to transport at least one kilogram of heroin for two traffickers.

According to court documents, Smith took bribes from an unnamed tow-truck company in exchange for sending the company's trucks to crash scenes, instead of using the department's system of rotating tow trucks.

Smith recruited Busch and Hassett, from the same Queens precinct where he worked, according to court records.

Together, court records show the three received thousands of dollars in cash payments.

“There is zero tolerance in the NYPD for corruption of any kind. Wherever it is alleged, our NYPD investigators, with our partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, work tirelessly to ensure it is punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.

The three later expanded their scheme to include using department databases to sell the names of car crash victims to lawyers and physical therapists.

They allegedly made more than $7,000 for selling the names and information, court documents said.

Before his retirement from the department in 2020, Smith arranged for Busch and Hassett to continue the scheme.

According to court documents, investigators were able to obtain text messages in which Smith said: “Bro I robbed everyone.”

Following his retirement, Smith also allegedly worked with two drug traffickers and transported a kilogram of heroin from Uniondale to Queen for $1,200.

Prosecutors have asked a federal judge to keep Smith in jail, saying they were worried he would intimidate potential witnesses.

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