Suffolk Law Enforcement Rocked by Indictments in Prostitution and Corruption Probe

A former Suffolk police officer, George Trimigliozzi, is currently incarcerated after being convicted for managing a brothel, while also facing severe disciplinary charges for repeatedly neglecting his official duties during overnight patrol shifts. An arbitrator's ruling highlighted an instance where Trimigliozzi delayed responding to a call about a missing developmentally disabled child for nearly an hour. The Suffolk police department had sought his termination, filing disciplinary charges in September 2024, a month prior to his indictment on unrelated prostitution charges.

The arbitrator’s 22-page report provides insight into the Suffolk police department’s mounting frustrations with Trimigliozzi’s job performance, detailing efforts to dismiss him even before his prostitution indictment brought significant embarrassment to the force. Newsday obtained the ruling, which stated the officer routinely avoided patrolling his assigned areas and delayed responding to calls, instead spending significant time at local fire departments.

Arbitrator Daniel Brent, in his February ruling, characterized Trimigliozzi's behavior as a "cavalier and dismissive attitude" toward his responsibilities as a police officer. Brent denied Trimigliozzi’s request for back pay covering his suspension period, concluding that the county’s disciplinary case for termination became moot when Trimigliozzi pleaded guilty in his criminal case. State law explicitly prohibits individuals convicted of a felony from serving as sworn police officers.

Trimigliozzi, 57, pleaded guilty in September to promoting prostitution and misconduct charges. A Suffolk Supreme Court judge subsequently sentenced him to two years in county jail, where he is currently serving his term in Riverhead.

The police department's disciplinary case made no mention of the prostitution details that emerged in his criminal proceedings. Instead, it focused on dozens of documented instances where Trimigliozzi allegedly avoided his patrol area, delayed responding to dispatches, and failed to activate his body-worn camera. The department’s tracking of his patrol car’s GPS movements revealed that it was idle for over 50 hours across 10 shifts during a six-month period, typically parked at fire departments in Bay Shore, Central Islip, and Islip. One notable example cited was Trimigliozzi spending 9 hours and 8 minutes of a 10-hour shift in October 2023 at the West Islip Fire Department.

Brent described this documented pattern as Trimigliozzi "repeatedly and knowingly shirking his official duties," noting that this "documented pattern of dereliction of duty likely created just cause to terminate Officer Trimigliozzi’s employment," had his guilty plea not rendered the disciplinary action redundant. The arbitrator also chastised Trimigliozzi for "intentionally delayed his departure to respond to multiple calls," with car tracking records confirming the exact timing of his vehicle’s movements. Suffolk detailed nine incidents where Trimigliozzi took excessive time, ranging from 20 minutes to an hour, to respond to emergency calls, including those involving a missing developmentally disabled person and individuals with critical heart conditions. These extensive delays often necessitated dispatchers seeking assistance from other officers.

Despite his legal troubles and termination, Trimigliozzi filed paperwork to begin receiving a $125,000 pension one month after his guilty plea. This amount is reduced because he completed 18 years of service with Suffolk police, falling short of the required 20 years for a full pension, according to Rebecca Dangoor of the state comptroller’s office.

Louis Civello, president of the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association, had initially argued for a five-day unpaid suspension for Trimigliozzi and sought back pay, contending that the arbitration process commenced before and was unrelated to the criminal charges. The Suffolk police department declined to comment on the matter.

Mark Iris, a lecturer emeritus at Northwestern University who has studied police arbitration, deemed the arbitrator’s decision to deny back pay "quite reasonable given the evidence." However, Iris also noted the inherent uncertainty in arbitration outcomes, stating that Suffolk County was "very lucky" the arbitrator ruled in its favor, as many cases with strong evidence have seen discipline reversed, leading to substantial back pay awards for officers.