Seven Suffolk County cops admitted to misconduct and agreed to quit but only after their pensions kicked in: Report

Long Island cops who have admitted to misconduct were allowed to stay on the job and rake six-figure salaries — ending their employment only after reaching full pension eligibility, a new report said.Since 2011, at least seven settlement agreements between Suffolk County and accused crooked cops have been reached, costing taxpayers $7 million and allowing officers who admitted to wrongdoing stay employed just long enough to reach their 20 years of service, which is when they would receive their pension eligibility, according to Newsday.Mike Martino, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, said the deals were cut under prior Exec Steve Bellone, who served the office from 2012 to 2023, and former police chief Rodney Harrison — who told the outlet that he never signed off on any such agreements despite his signature being on the paper.“These incidents and agreements took place under the prior administration,” Martino said.“This is just another thing that we’ve inherited,” he added.When Suffolk County moves to fire a cop, an independent arbitrator steps in to have the final say, but rather than risk losing before an arbitrator — who could side entirely with the officer — Bellone’s administration opted for these settlements.The sweetheart deals allowed officers who were accused of brazen wrongdoing — such as recent retiree Kevin Wustenhoff who allegedly took a Breathalyzer test for drunk off-duty colleague, David Mascarella.Mascarella had just plowed into a family with his truck and fractured a two-year-old’s skull in 2020, and officer Ronald Reiter, who allegedly exposed the identity of an undercover cop and failed to “disclose knowledge of unlawful conduct” — to admit only to “general misconduct.”Other officers who got similar deals included Christopher Weiner, who allegedly punched a man while holding handcuffs and leaving cuts on his face, andPolice Benevolent Association President Lou Civello defended the practice, a...