'Unabashedly Racist' NYPD Cop Faces Bribery, Drug Charges: Feds

NEW YORK CITY — A retired Queens cop charged in multiple criminal schemes on Tuesday left a trail of text messages and recordings that exposed his corruption and racism, authorities said.

Robert Smith, 44, of Plainview, bragged about shakedowns, used a racial slur to describe pointing his gun at Black people and described himself as "one of the most corrupt cops" in the 105th Precinct, according to a federal court document filed Tuesday.

And Smith found two corrupt comrades in arms — Heather Busch, 34, of Massapequa, and Robert Hassett, 36, of Farmingville — at the precinct, prosecutors said.

The trio faces a slew of criminal charges related to a towing company bribery scheme authorities said they ran.

“As alleged, the defendants shamelessly violated their oaths of office and the public trust by trading their badges for cash payments,” Mark J. Lesko, acting United States Attorney, said in a statement.

The tow truck caper — in which all three officers are accused of taking thousands in bribes for directing vehicles damaged in crashes toward one company — is only one criminal enterprise outlined in the court documents.

Hassett and Smith also sold details about recent crash victims to a broker who would funnel that information to personal injury attorneys and physical therapy businesses, a criminal indictment states. They ultimately obtained the names of more than 100 crash victims in exchange for $7,000 in bribes, according to the indictment.

The final scheme involved Smith alone, according to the indictment. He delivered a kilogram of heroin in exchange for $1,000, the indictment states.

Prosecutors repeatedly called all three cops "corrupt" in court documents, but saved the lion's share of focus on Smith.

Smith, they argued, should be held without bond because he poses a significant danger to the community and is a flight risk. Video and audio recordings, as well as text messages, show Smith participated in other uncharged crimes and showed "utter disregard for the law," they wrote.

"Smith’s unabashedly racist and hate-filled language in his communications included regular references to Black individuals as “n******s” and numerous references to the Ku Klux Klan, including one — just after his retirement — in which he wrote, 'Now the real [S]mith will shine. I even shaved my head. Klan,'" the document states.

Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted on the charges he faces, which include bribery, drug trafficking and a firearms charge, prosecutors said.

Hassett and Busch likewise face bribery charges.

Read the indictment and detention memo here: