The disgraced ex-head of the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association pleaded guilty to a federal charge Thursday for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union — including to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Ed Mullins, 61, admitted in Manhattan federal court that he submitted bogus and overblown expense reports for “obtaining money from the SBA contingency fund that I was not entitled to.”
“Yes, your honor,” Mullins responded when asked by Judge John Koeltl if he knew what he was doing was illegal.
He said he embezzled roughly $600,000 by submitting “false and inflated” expense reports to the union between 2017 and 2021.
Mullins used member dues to pay for hundreds of personal high-end meals as well as clothing, jewelry and home appliances, federal prosecutors charged. The feds said he even tapped SBA money to pay for a relative’s college education.
As part of his plea deal, Mullins copped to a single count of wire fraud and agreed not to appeal if the judge handed down a prison sentence of 41 months or less.
Ed Mullins turned himself in over allegations of misappropriation of union funds in 2022. Kevin C. DownsHe faces a maximum of up to 20 years when he is sentenced on May 25.
The feds and attorneys for Mullins — who was charged with wire fraud last year — had been in talks for a plea, court records show.
Assistant US Attorney Alexandra Rothman said if they case would have gone to trial, prosecutors would have presented evidence recovered from searches at Mullins’ office and house that would have shown doctored credit card statements, texts, emails, bank records and deposits.
Federal agents remove boxes of evidence from the building that houses the Sergeants Benevolent Association offices on Oct. 5, 2021. AP“There are not many among us who have strayed from the path of life… and Mr. Mullins took a big step today in righting his wrongs,” Mullins’ lawyer Thomas Kenniff said outside the courthouse.
In a statement after the plea hearing, US Attorney Damian Williams said: “Edward Mullins promised to look out for the thousands of hard-working NYPD Sergeants who are members of the SBA. Instead, as admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to fund his lavish lifestyle.”
The FBI raided Mullins’ home and union offices in October 2021. Months later, he turned himself in to the feds and was later released on a $250,000 bond.
The union sued its former leader for $1 million and other damages last March.
