WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. – A trooper with the New York State Police assigned to the Troop K barracks in Hawthorne was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with issuing two dozen falsified traffic citations to unsuspecting motorists in 2021 and 2022. One ticket was issued to an individual who was killed in a crash earlier in the day.
Trooper Edward Longo, 34, of Yorktown faces a litany of charges. He was slapped with a 40-count criminal complaint that alleges he offered false instruments for filing, a class E felony, and committed official misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, the Rockland/Westchester Journal News reported.
“Integrity in law enforcement is paramount,” said Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah in a press release. “I commend our partners at the New York State Police for referring this case to our Office and demonstrating their commitment to accountability and transparency.”
Trooper Daniel McMorris investigated the allegations of criminal misconduct. He explained in charging documents that Troop K regularly monitors its officers for performance-related goals regarding traffic tickets. Personnel who fail to meet expectations “may be counseled,” he said. Longo was reportedly on the cusp of a reprimand had he not stepped up his productivity, which is attributed to the motive behind the bogus traffic tickets.
Falsified citations by Longo were reportedly issued to actual motorists who may never have had any meaningful interaction with the state trooper.
In one instance, Longo reportedly issued a ticket for speeding and unsafe driving to a motorist whom he had not stopped for a violation. That person had actually died in a traffic fatality earlier in the day, the Journal News reported.
“When State Police learned of a possible falsified traffic ticket scheme by one of our members, we immediately launched a criminal investigation in collaboration with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office that resulted in the charges filed,” New York State Police spokesperson Beau Duffy said. “Integrity is one of our core values, and we hold our members to the highest standards. We thoroughly investigate every complaint, and if any member breaks the law they are held accountable.”
Longo could not be reached for comment. He is currently suspended with pay from the agency, Duffy confirmed.
A spokesperson for the troopers’ union, Michele Crisafulli, declined to comment.
Although sentencing in New York is complicated since many factors are involved, the Journal News reported that Longo faces a prison term of up to four years for each felony, and a year for each misdemeanor.
