More alleged victims are stepping forward in Long Island, N.Y., to accuse a Suffolk County police sergeant of pulling over and robbing Hispanic drivers.
Immigrant rights advocates said that a number of Hispanic men have stepped forward to claim that former Suffolk Police Sgt. Scott Greene robbed them. Greene is already accused of stealing money from two Latino men he pulled over while on duty.
“So far, we have identified over 12 individuals, so there definitely are more individuals who have come forward,” said Irma Solis, of Make the Road New York, according News 12 Long Island.
Solis added that the alleged new victims were referred to the Suffolk County DA’s Office.
Suffolk District Attorney Tom Spota in January announced that Greene was caught on camera targeting a Latino undercover officer, where he pulled the officer over and stole a $100 bill from his car. This sting operation occurred following complaints from two Latino immigrants who said they were robbed by the sergeant.
Greene was subsequently fired and arrested. He faces charges for petty larceny and official misconduct.
These allegations come as the New York Times reported that many Latino drivers have come forward alleging that police officers have robbed them during traffic stops.
The Times report stated that the offending police officer will usually ask the person they pull over to step out of the car and place their hands on the car. Once the driver is facing the other way, the officer checks the driver’s wallet and begins to search the car.
“After a few minutes, he hands the wallet back to the driver, tells him that everything is fine and sends him on his way. Soon afterward, the driver discovers that money is missing from his wallet,” the New York Times said.
The group most affected by this type of police misconduct is undocumented immigrants, who don’t have the legal status to fight the theft.
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