New York policeman, who took bribes and Las Vegas trip, found not guilty on corruption charges

NEW YORK >> A police commander was acquitted of federal corruption charges today after a seven-week trial in which prosecutors contended he had done favors for two businessmen in return for lavish gifts.

The jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan found James Grant, a former New York City deputy inspector, not guilty on all charges, but still decided to convict one of the businessmen, Jeremy Reichberg, on several bribery and conspiracy charges involving other officers.

The jury found Reichberg not guilty on one count — that he had paid bribes to Grant. After the verdict, Grant turned to Reichberg and quietly said: “You’re going to be OK.”

The verdict appeared to reflect the higher bar the U.S. Supreme Court has set for public corruption cases with its 2016 ruling that reversed the bribery conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. In that ruling, the court determined that making introductions or setting up meetings, even in exchange for gifts or financial benefits, did not constitute a crime.

Federal prosecutors presented evidence they said documented years of corruption “big and small” in which high-ranking police officials provided favors to Reichberg and a second businessman, Jona S. Rechnitz. In return, prosecutors said, the officers received gifts, all-expenses-paid trips on private jets, dinners and access to prostitutes.

But after deliberating over three days for nearly 17 hours, the jurors said prosecutors failed to prove Grant had done official favors in return for the gifts.

Throughout the trial, the defense maintained there was nothing criminal about the friendship between Grant, 45, and Reichberg, 44.

Jurors said the panel determined almost immediately Reichberg was guilty on most of the charges against him. But a majority of the panel was also convinced at the start of the deliberations that Grant, though he had accepted gifts, had not done favors in exchange for them.

“Grant was a flunky, a pawn to Rechnitz and Reichberg,” said one juror, Ives Bonilla, 67, of the Bronx. “He was overwhelmed by their wealth. He was razzled, dazzled by the millions they were talking about and spending.”

Part of the government’s case relied on testimony from Rechnitz, the wealthy son of a real estate developer who pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud as part of the investigation that led to charges against the two defendants.