On August 3, 2023, Ed Mullins, the former president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), was sentenced to two years in federal prison on a fraud charge. Mullins, who led the New
York City police union from 2002 to 2021, was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the association.
During a hearing in a Manhattan courtroom, U.S. District Court Judge John Koeltl handed down the sentence. In January, Mullins pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and agreed to forfeit $600,000 to the U.S. government, as well as pay $600,000 back to the union.
Mullins expressed remorse during Thursday's hearing, stating, "Although I regret everything that has led me to this day, I remain motivated to make this right, to correct my flaws and to restore to all those who I've injured."
Prosecutors revealed that between 2017 and October 2021, when Mullins resigned as union chief, he used a personal credit card for lavish dining and luxury shopping. He then submitted false and inflated expense reports to the union for reimbursement. In total, Mullins stole at least $600,000 from the SBA.
Judge Koeltl also sentenced Mullins to three years of supervision after his release from prison. The SBA, based in lower Manhattan, is the fifth-largest police union in the United States, representing 13,000 active and retired members of the New York Police Department. Photo by Julius Schorzman (Quasipalm), Wikimedia commons.