Former Cop Convicted of Official Misconduct, Conspiracy in Kennedy Scam

A Nassau County jury has convicted former Nassau County Deputy Police Commissioner William Flanagan on two counts of official misconduct and one count of conspiracy in connection with his role preventing the arrest of a Merrick teenager whose father was a personal friend and financial benefactor of the police.

According to the Nassau County District Attorney's office, the jury began deliberations on Feb. 8 and returned a partial verdict on Feb. 14, convicting Flanagan, 55, of Islip, of two counts of official misconduct. The jury convicted Flanagan of one count sixth-degree conspiracy in the and found him not guilty of receiving a reward for official misconduct in a verdict returned on Feb. 15. Flanagan faces up to one year in jail at sentencing.

Flanagan, 54, of Islip, was a former second deputy commissioner with the Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) before his March 2012 indictment. He resigned from his position on Feb. 29 of that year.

Also indicted were former Deputy Chief Inspector John Hunter, 59, of Oyster Bay, and Detective Sergeant Alan Sharpe, 54, of Huntington Station. Hunter resigned on Feb. 29, 2012, and Sharpe retired on Jan. 5, 2012.

According to multiple reports, Merrick resident and former Kennedy student Zachary Parker, now 21, was charged with stealing more than $3,000 worth of computers after he allegedly broke into Kennedy High School in 2009.

Flanagan, Hunter and Sharpe were indicted by a grand jury on charges that they conspired to and intentionally prevented the arrest of Parker.

The Long Island Press, which first reported the story in March 2011, says that Parker's father, Gary, is a business associate of a group called the Nassau Police Department Foundation, which says on its website that it was founded to help fund a new police academy.

“This case has always been about making sure that there isn’t one set of rules for the wealthy and connected, and another set for everyone else,” said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice. “I’m pleased the jury validated our belief in that important principle."

"This is a huge win for the public, but it's also a sad day for an awful lot of incredibly hard-working Nassau cops who do their brave jobs honestly every day," she continued. "This case is a reminder that to safeguard the public's trust and the integrity of our honest officers, we must be vigilant in our fight against corruption and misconduct. We are looking forward to continuing this effort in the two related upcoming trials.”