Officials Pass Bill To Recover Former Chief James Burke's Salary

SMITHTOWN, NY - Local officials recently passed a bill to recover the money paid to former police chief James Burke who was sentenced to prison for assaulting a man and trying to cover it up.

The bill was recently introduced by Robert Trotta, Republican legislator for the 13th district of Long Island, and received unanimous support from both parties.

Burke, of St. James, was charged in 2015 with assaulting Smithtown resident Christopher Loeb who was arrested for stealing a duffel bags with items from Burke's SCPD-issued SUV as well as other police vehicles in 2012.

During the assault, Loeb was handcuffed and chained to an eyebolt fastened to the floor at the Fourth Precinct.

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In Jan. 2017 Burke, who was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison, was transferred to the low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Last December he was released from federal prison.

According to the bill, in addition to his salary and benefits, Suffolk County was required to pay $1.5 million to settle a civil action that "originated with Burke’s abuse of power and criminal conduct."

As a result, the new bill will allow officials to take legal action against Burke to recover compensation that was paid to Burke by the County.

According to a report in Newsday, last month County Attorney Dennis Brown said the proposal was "frivolous" due to the fact that "the county did not represent Burke in the lawsuit brought by burglary suspect [Loeb,] which resulted in a $1.5 million settlement."

Click here to read the full report on Newsday.com.

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