Former Police Union Chief Sentenced to Prison for $600K Fraud

For nearly two decades, Ed Mullins served as the leader of one of the largest police unions in the United States. However, Mullins has now been sentenced to two years in prison for committing fraud against the Sergeants Benevolent Association, which represents the 13,000 active and retired sergeants of the New York Police Department, as reported by CBS News. In a Manhattan federal court, Mullins was found guilty of stealing $600,000 from the union fund between 2017 and 2021. Prosecutors explained how he used the money to fund his luxurious personal lifestyle, which included expensive items and meals at high-end restaurants, according to the AP.

NY1 reports that Mullins, who earned a salary of about $250,000 before retiring in late 2021, was able to embezzle the funds by submitting hundreds of false expense reports. US Attorney Damian Williams stated, “Mullins publicly promised to protect the interests of the sergeants he represented, but secretly he stole from the SBA and its members, treating the SBA as his personal piggy bank.” Additionally, Assistant US Attorney Alexandra Rothman described Mullins as a thief and a liar. The FBI raided Mullins’ home and office at SBA headquarters in October 2021, leading to his resignation from both the SBA and the police force.

During his court appearance, the 61-year-old Mullins expressed deep remorse, saying, “My regret cannot be put into words. I make no excuses. I made an incredibly bad decision.” Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 3 1/2 years, but Mullins’ attorney stated that they were pleased with the lower sentence given by the court. In addition to the two-year prison term, Mullins will serve three years of supervised release and will have to forfeit $600,000 and repay the same amount to the SBA. This information was provided by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.