{"active":true,"first_name":"Jose","last_name":"Vargas","race":"Hispanic","gender":"Male","rank":"DT1","command":{"command":"VED ZN1","assignment_date":"2016-10-18","id":"303"},"shield_no":6747,"taxid":"923299","complaint_ids":[202106277,201407176,201214889,201101908,201017162,200809988,200807577,200605835,200307422],"command_history":[{"command":"MELD","id":"MELD"},{"command":"NARCBBX"}],"appt_date":"1998-08-31","middle_initial":"L","shield_no_history":[24428],"lawsuits":[{"name":"Tell, Josephine vs 9 West 73rd Street Llc, et al.","start_date":"2024-10-24","payout_amount":0,"disposition":"","docket":"24CV07161","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","summary":"On or about June 20, 2022, Plaintiff was raped in her apartment by the building's superintendent (\"Defendant Doe 1\"). As a result, she suffered a stroke, resulting in problems with her vision and temporary blindness, for which she was hospitalized. When she complained to the building owners (the \"Owners\"), they began eviction proceedings against her in New York County Housing Court, on or about October 26, 2022 (the \"Housing Court Action\"). In the Housing Court Action, the Owners alleged that Plaintiff was a transsexual prostitute who was not raped but in fact seduced her assailant. After trial in the Housing Court Action, Plaintiff filed for a stay pending appeal. In response, the Owners filed an affirmation from their attorney and an affidavit from their the property management company alleging, in sum, the following: Plaintiff was a transgender escort selling sex in her building, and the Owners had received tenant complaints about Plaintiff's customers waiting in the hallways; the Owners found an a prostitution advertisement featuring Plaintiff, her rates, and color pictures; NYPD P.O. Jose Vargas was assigned to investigate complaints of prostitution and could indeed confirm such prostitution in the building; and Plaintiff had a history of seducing the building's property management personnel. \n\nAccording to one of the affidavits, in January 2023, another tenant in Plaintiff's building encountered a man \"snooping around in the basement\" of Plaintiff's building. The man introduced himself as Jose and identified himself as an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, allegedly investigating complaints of sex-trafficking/prostitution in the building. The tenant exchanged text messages with Jose, who indicated that he was working with the Owners to \"make [the] building safe again.\" In fact, \"Jose\" was P.O. Vargas, and there were no tenant complaints of sex-trafficking/prostitution in Plaintiff's building, nor was there a formal NYPD \"investigation\" or \"surveillance\"—P.O. Vargas was colluding with the Owners and acting in defiance of the law, resulting in harm to Plaintiff. To add to the harm against Plaintiff, on January 27, 2024, the New York Post published an article entitled \"TRANSGENDER ESCORT SQUATTER TURNED NYC LANDMARK INTO SEEDY 'BROTHEL,' OWES $50K IN RENT: COURT DOCS.\" The article referenced a series of false allegations from the Defendants' court actions against Plaintiff, further contributing to the harm she suffered.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.628713/gov.uscourts.nysd.628713.1.0_1.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69183321/tell-v-9-west-73rd-street-llc/"},{"name":"Cardona, Hector, et al. vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2017-05-10","disposition_date":"2018-01-17","payout_amount":110000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"300927/2017","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L."},{"name":"Prado, Ralph vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-12-28","disposition_date":"2017-06-29","payout_amount":30000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"026985/2015","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L."},{"name":"Capellan, Dahiana vs Smyth, Michael, et al.","start_date":"2015-12-16","disposition_date":"2017-12-27","payout_amount":40000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"15CV09815","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","summary":"Defendant Officers forcibly entered Plaintiff's apartment  with guns drawn, tightly handcuffed her, and searched the premises.  Although Plaintiff only rented one bedroom in the residence, officers allegedly found a gun in another resident's bedroom and arrested Plaintiff.  She was taken to the 46th precinct and charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, which was dismissed by a Grand Jury.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.451279/gov.uscourts.nysd.451279.22.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/8193289/capellan-v-smyth/"},{"name":"Gonzalez, Shirley vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-10-21","disposition_date":"2016-09-02","payout_amount":15001,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"15CV07971","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","summary":"Defendant Officers approached plaintiff and her friend, started harassing her friend, and then Plaintiff. Plaintiff was unlawfully searched, taken to the 40th precinct, strip searched, and charged with PL ß220.39(1) (Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and PL ß220.03 (Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree). Plaintiff was held at Rikers until the DA eventually dismissed the case.","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4921492-Gonzalez-v-Simms-et-al"},{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4921490-Gonzalez-v-Simms-et-al","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4355936/gonzalez-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Johnson, Ronald vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2015-01-13","disposition_date":"2015-07-01","payout_amount":9000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"15CV00226","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","summary":"On March 1, 2013, NYPD Detective Jose Vargas (in plainclothes) grabbed Plaintiff's arm as Plaintiff was about to get on a residential elevator, and NYPD Police Officer Jerry Wolvers (in plainclothes) began punching Plaintiff.  Plaintiff attempted to run home, but NYPD Detective Joseph Scialabba pointed a firearm at Plaintiff and told Plaintiff he would shoot if Plaintiff moved.  Plaintiff laid down and willingly submitted to rear-cuffing.  Det. Scialabba applied the handcuffs tighter than necessary.  Det. Vargas and P.O. Wolvers caught up and kicked Plaintiff in the back of the head, breaking one of Plaintiff's front teeth, and otherwise badly beat him.  They then dragged Plaintiff across the pavement by the handcuffs.  When Plaintiff declined to provide his name at the precinct, Det. Vargas booked Plaintiff under an invented name, and Plaintiff was charged with marijuana possession, resisting arrest and false personation (based on the name that Det. Vargas invented).  Plaintiff was arraigned, had bail set and taken to jail.  On December 17, 2013, all charges were dismissed in Plaintiff's favor.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.437195.1.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4578354/johnson-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"name":"Sakevich, John vs City of New York, et al.","start_date":"2013-10-11","disposition_date":"2016-03-07","payout_amount":475000,"disposition":"Settlement","docket":"13CV07165","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","summary":"On July 10, 2012, Officer Martha Lequerica and a sergeant stopped plaintiff's vehicle without just cause. Officer Lequerica ordered plaintiff out of the car and searched, handcuffed, and arrested him without probable cause. Officers Luis Martinez and Robert Veloz were present. Officers Teres Nivar, Jose Morales, and Nilka Vargas then arrived at the location. Officer Lequerica intentionally tightened plaintiff's right handcuff, resulting in pain. Plaintiff asked for it to be loosened, and his request was ignored. Plaintiff was placed in a van with Officers Novar, Morales, and an unknown officer. He repeatedly asked them to loosen his handcuff or provide him with medical care and was ignored. He was taken to a precinct and placed in a cell. Plaintiff complained to an EMT that his wrist had been injured and was given ice by the EMT. Plaintiff was charged based on false allegations from Officer Lequerica, alleging that plaintiff nearly struck the officer and that plaintiff was difficult during the arrest. The charges were later dismissed. As a result of plaintiff's injuries, plaintiff was diagnosed with crush injuries to his radial nerve and swelling of the carpal tunnel. Plaintiff needed surgery, but his injuries are permanent.","documents":[{"url":"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.418580/gov.uscourts.nysd.418580.35.0.pdf","type":"complaint"}],"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/13245351/sakevich-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Zero Disposition","start_date":"2012-10-03","disposition_date":"2014-09-08","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","docket":"13CV00825","name":"Aybar, Angel, et Al vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":0,"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5681953/aybar-v-city-of-new-york/"},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2012-05-21","disposition_date":"2013-12-10","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","docket":"304094/2012","name":"Nelson, Travis vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":75000},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2012-04-23","disposition_date":"2013-04-11","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","docket":"303436/2012","name":"Simpson, Michael vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":30000},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2012-03-08","disposition_date":"2012-11-13","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","docket":"12CV01526","name":"Torres, Anthony vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":12000,"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/12960604/torres-v-the-city-of-new-york/"},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2011-09-29","disposition_date":"2017-01-25","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","docket":"308272/2011","name":"Ruiz, Victor, et Al vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":55000},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Settlement","start_date":"2008-09-09","disposition_date":"2014-09-15","court":"Supreme Court - Bronx","docket":"307349/2008","name":"Ivey, Gloria vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":27500},{"officer_name":"Vargas, Jose L.","disposition":"Zero Disposition","start_date":"2007-05-29","disposition_date":"2014-06-30","court":"U.S. District Court - Southern District NY","docket":"07CV01248","name":"Retamozzo, Armand vs City of New York, et al.","payout_amount":0,"url":"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66815210/schwartz-v-middletown-city-school-district/"},{"name":"Johnson v. The City Of New York et al","court":"U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY","payout_amount":9000,"disposition":"Settlement","documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4920400-Johnson-v-The-City-Of-New-York-et-al"}],"docket":"15CV00226","officer_name":"Jose L. Vargas"}],"discipline":[{"disposition_date":"2022-01-03","case_no":"2021-23497","penalty":"B - Command Discipline","recommendation":"Instructions","allegations":[{"desc":"Improper entries in property clerk invoice"}]}],"documents":[{"url":"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21029737-vargas-01198f3477c31bcee7ce2606e264fa4d7cd28317","type":"brady-giglio"}],"payroll":{"salary":"134819","regular":"130069","overtime":"72191","other":"28443","total":"230702"},"id":"YB4B","url":"https://www.50-a.org/officer/YB4B"}