Named in 11 known lawsuits, $452,251 total settlements.
Castillo, Ernesto vs City of Ny, et al.
Case # 701449/2021,
Supreme Court - Queens, January 26, 2021, ended January 9, 2026
Zero Disposition
Complaint
Description: Defendant Officer Christopher Cruzado led an investigation into a complaint by Hector Casas in which Casas purportedly alleged that on December 15, 2017 he had been robbed by three individuals and shot by one of those individuals. On or about January 24, 2018, in response to a request by NYPD, Plaintiff voluntarily appeared at the police precinct. After voluntarily appearing at the precinct, Plaintiff was arrested at the instigation of Defendant Officer Cruzado. The arrest of Plaintiff was undertaken without a warrant and without probable cause to believe that Plaintiff had committed or was about to commit any crime. Defendant Officer Cruzado initiated a prosecution of Plaintiff in which Plaintiff was accused b...
Whittingham, Shamar, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 708939/2018,
Supreme Court - Queens, July 23, 2018, ended May 1, 2020
$175,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On March 9, 2017 at 192nd St and 118th Rd, Queens, NY, one or more occupants of a motor vehicle drove up to a group of individuals and fired gun shots striking at least one of those individuals. NYPD responded to the location of the shooting. Defendants were involved in the investigation of the shooting. On March 10, 2017 Plaintiffs were taken into custody at the 113th precinct and questioned in connection with the shooting. Defendant Cruzado coerced Plaintiffs to confess to the shooting. Plaintiffs offered no confession. Cruzado arrested Plaintiffs without any warrants. Defendants provided false information to the Queens DA initiating a criminal prosecution against Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs were arraigned in Quee...
Trice, Donald vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 14CV08367,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, December 3, 2014, ended April 8, 2015
$17,500 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On April 11, 2012, Plaintiff was present at 940 St. Nicholas Avenue in New York City, NY. Plaintiff's mother was having a get together with several people, including a woman named Tracy Brown. Plaintiff left the location for about fifteen minutes to go to the store and when he returned and buzzed to be let back in, a man in plainclothes opened the door. When Plaintiff tried to enter the lobby, the man pushed him against a wall and held him. Plaintiff was then searched and handcuffed, and he sat in the lobby. No contraband was found on the Plaintiff. Several Defendants then forcibly entered the apartment that was shared by the Plaintiff, his brother, and his mother. Defendants searched the apartment and allegedl...
Polanco, Joel vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 156090/2014,
Supreme Court - New York, June 23, 2014, ended September 16, 2014
$21,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On February 28, 2014 Plaintiff was present with his friend at a fast food restaurant, ordered a menu item, and received change back. Plaintiff did not have any conversation with any person other than his friend and the cashier, and did not have any prescription medications on him. Plaintiff sat in the restaurant for approximately 10 minutes when Det. Alexander Kalogiros, Det. Ivan Rodriguez, Det. Thomas Pesick, and PO John Doe approached and told him to leave the restaurant. Plaintiff did so and was arrested and searched upon exiting. Plaintiff asked why he was arrested and officers brought him to a handcuffed individual in a patrol van. Plaintiff had never seen this individual before, and the individual stated...
Trice, Donald, et al. vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 14CV02671,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, April 18, 2014, ended December 1, 2014
$40,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 13, 2012, plaintiffs Donald and Oliver Trice were lawfully present at an apartment in New York, New York along with their mother and an individual named David Joseph. The defendant NYPD officers broke in the door of the apartment and ordered all four occupants to the ground. Despite finding no contraband on or near the plaintiffs, they were arrested; the defendants refused to give a reason for their arrest. At the precinct, plaintiffs were subjected to degrading body cavity and strip searches, and falsely charged with possessing vials and pipes with cocaine residue. However, the illegal contraband had either been found on David Joseph or was planted by the defendant officers. Defendant detective K...
Holguin, Othoniel vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 13CV06785,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, September 26, 2013, ended April 7, 2014
$12,501 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On August 11, 2012, Plaintiff Othoniel Holguin was lawfully present on a street in Manhattan and spoke briefly with an acquaintance that he had run into, when the Defendant NYPD Officers drove up in an unmarked police van and forcibly searched Plaintiff's person three to four times. They did not find any contraband. One of the Defendant officers pretended to grab a tissue from the ground and said "Bingo!", but would not tell Plaintiff what he was holding. Plaintiff was handcuffed and arrested without probable cause. Plaintiff's arrest was approved by Defendant NYPD Officer John Doe #1. Plaintiff was transported to a police precinct and placed in a holding cell. Plaintiff was strip searched under the direc...
Mcgibbon, David Jr. vs Sergeant Leudesdorff, Karl et al.
Case # 13CV03001,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, May 24, 2013, ended October 16, 2013
$55,000 Settlement
Complaint
Description: On July 11, 2010, Plaintiff was lawfully operating his vehicle. Defendants ordered Plaintiff out of the vehicle with guns drawn. Plaintiff complied with the Defendants’ commands. Defendants demanded his identification. Plaintiff ultimately produced his identification. Defendants illegally searched Plaintiff and his car. No contraband was recovered. Plaintiff was handcuffed from behind excessively tightly. While handcuffed, Defendant Kalogiros aggressively approached Plaintiff and sucker-punched Plaintiff squarely in his face. Defendants further assaulted and battered Plaintiff. Plaintiff was eventually taken to the 113th Precinct. At the precinct the officers falsely informed employees of the Queens County Dist...
Taveras, Romulo as Png of T., R., vs P.O. Daliz, Angel, et al.
Case # 13CV03038,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, May 8, 2013, ended February 11, 2015
$41,250 Settlement
Complaint,
Second Amended Complaint
Description: On February 9, 2012, 14 NYPD Officers broke down the door to Plaintiffs' residence pursuant to a fraudulently and maliciously obtained search warrant. NYPD Officer Jackson placed all the Plaintiffs under arrest. Plaintiff Romulo Taveras was thrown to the floor and rear handcuffed. Plaintiff Rami Taveras was pulled from his bed, thrown to the floor, held down at gunpoint, and handcuffed. The residence was searched for several hours before the defendants realized that they had made a mistake, released the Plaintiffs, and voided their arrests.
Benoit, Pamai vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 13CV01228,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, March 12, 2013, ended November 15, 2013
Administrative Closing
Complaint,
Dismissal,
First Amended Complaint
Description: On April 8, 2010, Plaintiff was pulled over by defendant officers. After Plaintiff produced his license and registration he was directed to exit his vehicle. Defendant Officers Alexandros Kalogiros and Brian Davis then illegally and without consent searched Plaintiff’s car including his trunk and glove compartment. Despite finding nothing, the officers handcuffed and arrested Plaintiff. At the 113th Precinct, Defendant Officer Kalogiros swore falsely that Plaintiff had failed to signal when turning and possessed a knife. The charges were eventually dropped after several years.
Mcgibbon, Danielle vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 12CV02638,
U.S. District Court - Eastern District NY, May 30, 2012, ended October 20, 2013
$55,000 Settlement
Guzman, Sunilda, et Al vs City of New York, et al.
Case # 12CV01216,
U.S. District Court - Southern District NY, April 10, 2012, ended September 10, 2013
$35,000 Settlement