Ex-Treasurer Of Law Enforcement Union Guilty Of Tax Evasion

KINGSTON, NY — The treasurer of a law enforcement union has admitted he evaded paying taxes — both his and the union's.

Audrey Strauss, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Friday Steven Whittick, the former treasurer of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association and an officer with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to evade more than $250,000 in federal taxes.

The evasion included payroll taxes owed by the employees association and his own personal income taxes.

Whittick, 51, of Kingston, also pleaded guilty to lying to federal officers who were investigating the case.

The association is a labor union representing certain law enforcement officers who work for New York City, including officers from the DEP and the city's sanitation and transportation departments.

Strauss said Whittick pleaded guilty to charges that reflect a betrayal of his duties as a law enforcement officer, as well as his legal obligations as a union official and his responsibilities as a taxpayer.

"As a police officer, Whittick swore to uphold the law, not to obstruct it," she said. "As a union official, he betrayed the rank-and-file membership by paying himself off the books. As a taxpayer, Whittick evaded his legal obligation to pay what was owed.

"Now Steven Whittick awaits sentencing for his crimes," Strauss said.

The tax evasion conspiracy took place from 2015 through 2019 and, prosecutors said, involved Kenneth Wynder Jr., the president of the benevolent association, who made the payments to both of them and concealed the payments from the IRS.

The payments totaled more than $100,000 to Whittick and more than $400,000 to Wynder, authorities said.

After learning of the federal investigation into the benevolent association's finances, Whittick repeatedly lied to federal agents in an effort to obstruct the investigation.

In September 2019, Whittick made false statements to law enforcement agents about, among other things, cash withdrawals he made from the association's bank accounts, annuity fund and individual retirement accounts of fund participants.

Whittick pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to evade personal and payroll taxes for the tax years 2015 through 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019 and one count of lying to federal investigators.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense and an order of restitution.

Whittick is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 17.

Wynder was charged in six counts of the same indictment in which Whittick was charged, Strauss said.

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