Named in 15 known lawsuits, $1,840,500 total settlements.
Castillo-Diaz, Donna vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 810271/2026E,
Supreme Court - Bronx, June 30, 2026
Steinbergin, Troy vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 159315/2021,
Supreme Court - New York, October 25, 2021, ended April 12, 2023
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: Robert Frank, and Undercover Officers No. 0076 and 0039. The Defendants did such despite the Plaintiff not committing any illegal acts, not being accused of any wrongdoing by any witnesses, no probable cause, or any legal justification. The defendants then unlawfully stopped the Plaintiff by grabbing his body and limbs. They then physically restrained the plaintiff, violently contorted the Plaintiff's arms behind their back, placed the Plaintiff's hands in metal handcuffs, and caused the Plaintiff substantial injuries and pain to the Plaintiff's back, neck, arms, hands, and wrists. Despite Plaintiff telling the Defendants that the handcuffs were too tight and causing pain, the Defendants ignored Plaintiff's req...
Spruill, Jeremiah vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 21CV00181,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, January 26, 2021, ended March 21, 2025
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: On March 12, 2014, the Plaintiff was falsely arrested for selling drugs. Subsequently, due to false testimony, the plaintiff was convicted for 6 years in prison. In November 2018, the DA voluntarily dismissed all charges.
Coste, Hector, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 20CV10365,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, December 17, 2020
Complaint
Description: On December 12, 2017, the Plaintiffs were falsely arrested for distributing drugs. After multiple course appearances in six months, charges against all three plaintiffs were dismissed.
Spruill, Jeremiah vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 153749/2019,
Supreme Court - New York, April 19, 2019, ended March 20, 2025
$1,500,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On March 12, 2014, plaintiff was on his way to work and not engaged in any criminal activity, when defendant POs Fernandez, Hairston and Heredia, without a warrant or probable cause, stopped and arrested him. Plaintiff, who is African-American, was stopped because he vaguely matched the description of a man who had engaged in a drug sale during a "buy-and-bust" operation near the area. Defendant POs then signed a criminal complaint, knowingly relying on a false statement linking plaintiff with the drug sale. Defendant POs then prepared false police reports, causing plaintiff to be prosecuted and convicted for crimes he did not commit.
Steinbergin, Troy vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 19CV01314,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, February 27, 2019, ended February 4, 2021
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: On June 21, 2014, plaintiff was unlawfully searched, handcuffed, and arrested by NYPD officers, including Officer Jamal Hairston. The officers predicated plaintiff's arrest on fabricated accounts of a criminal sale. Plaintiff was then transported to the 25th Precinct before being taken to the New York County Criminal Court. Despite knowing that plaintiff was not responsible for the alleged crime, the officers, including Hairston, provided the District Attorney's Office with false information about plaintiff. Plaintiff was sentenced to four years of incarceration.
Scotland, Paul vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 18CV06134,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, July 10, 2018, ended January 17, 2019
$5,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: As the Plaintiff was socializing on a street corner, the Defendant Officers of whose identity was unknown at the time, approached the Plaintiff and began chasing him. The Defendant Officers ñ including defendants Hairston and Velez, chased the Plaintiff to his apartment building and arrested him handcuffing him behind his back. The Defendant Officers Hairston and Velez then patted down and searched the Plaintiff and found marijuana inside his shirt pocket. The Plaintiff was transported to the 24th precinct. At the precinct, Defendants Doe 1-3 conducted a visual body cavity search of Plaintiff. Defendants Det. Hairston and PO Velez collectively fabricated false story. The Plaintiff was charged with Resisting Arr...
Taylor, Shaquanna vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 154618/2018,
Supreme Court - New York, May 24, 2018
Complaint
Description: On or about May 25, 2017, at approximately 4:00 P.M., in the vicinity of 125th Street and Lennox Avenue Plaintiff was wrongfully touched, grabbed, handcuffed, searched and seized by the Defendants, NYPD officers, in an excessive manner, causing Plaintiff physical pain and mental suffering. Defendants unlawfully arrested the Plaintiff, restrained her and her liberty and then took Plaintiff into custody Rikers Island Correctional Facility. Plaintiff was then taken to a police station and held in custody for 2 days or approximately 23 hours and then was released. Defendants deliberately and maliciously prosecuted plaintiff by filing a criminal court complaint to be filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New Yo...
Alvarez, Kevin vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 15CV08063,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, November 4, 2015, ended June 23, 2016
$30,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: Plaintiff was outside standing next to someone who had been previously apprehended in a buy and bust at that location. Officers then approached Plaintiff, tightly handcuffed him, searched him, and taken into custody. Plaintiff was charged with 220.39. UC-0039 testified against Plaintiff and the DA's office doubted his testimony, resulting in dismissal of the indictment.
Priveterre, Stephen vs Charlson, Sean, et al.
Case # 14CV08841,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, July 15, 2015, ended August 5, 2016
Zero Disposition
Smith, Rodney vs Hairston, Jamel, et al.
Case # 15CV02764,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, April 17, 2015, ended September 17, 2015
$45,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: Undercover Defendants approached Plaintiff while he was on the street, questioned him, and arrested a man nearby that Plaintiff had recently spoken to for heroin possession. Officers subsequently arrested Plaintiff, took him to 25th precinct, charged him with 220.39(1) Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the third degree, which was later dismissed due to video surveillance that proved Plaintiff's innocence.
Edwards, Glenn, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 17CV02566,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, March 26, 2015, ended June 4, 2019
$200,000 Settlement
Amended Complaint,
Complaint
Description: Officers unlawfully entered the plaintiffs' residence while Ms. Edwards was naked. The officers pointed weapons at the plaintiffs, forced them to the ground, and handcuffed them. They also refused to allow Ms. Edwards to change into clothes. Officers then accused the plaintiffs of selling drugs from their home in the presence of their 10-year-old granddaughter.
Tucker, Theodore vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 161282/2014,
Supreme Court - New York, March 12, 2015, ended February 16, 2016
$60,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On January 28, 2012, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the plaintiff, Theodore Tucker, was lawfully present in the vicinity of 1st Avenue and 105th Street, New York, and was subject to a stop by some of the defendants, certain New York police officers. The plaintiff was subsequently frisked and searched, questioned, and then arrested by the same police officers, without probable cause. The police officers did not find any illegal drugs, weapons or contraband from the search but the plaintiff was handcuffed and transported to 23rd precinct. The plaintiff was strip searched at the precinct, then fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell for several hours, before being transported to Manhattan Central Bo...
Bluett, Laquantes vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 150483/2014,
Supreme Court - New York, February 11, 2014
Complaint
Description: On or about January 28, 2012 inside an apartment building PO Jamal Hairston, Undercover Officers (UOs) Unnamed and Ghost, and Dets. Christopher Heredia, Keith Carpenter, and Abel Joseph wrongfully grabbed and handcuffed Plaintiff in an excessive manner without legal justification. Plaintiff was unlawfully taken into custody and held in false imprisonment for approximately 18 months. Plaintiff was maliciously prosecuted until August 13, 2013 when all charges were dismissed. Plaintiff suffered physical pain, mental suffering, humiliation, mental anguish, and indignity as a result of this incident.
Edwards v. City of New York et al.
Case # 152345/2015,
Supreme Court - New York
Amended Complaint,
Second Amended Complaint