Wouldn't you love to have your speeding or red light tickets disappear? Well, your favorite celebrities are..... with a little help from the good 'ol police department.
Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, the Bronx Bombers’ formidable late owner George Steinbrenner and hip-hop star Jay-Z are among the celebrities who had speeding and other moving violations wiped away by members of the NYPD, reports say.
Three current City Council members also had tickets disappear.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the accusations involving these men are part of an ongoing investigation into possible rampant ticket-fixing by police union delegates.
Up to 40 NYPD officers could be arrested and at least 100 others could face departmental charges in the probe.
An NYPD sergeant ended up nixing a speeding ticket a highway cop gave A-Rod on the West Side Highway in 2009, reports the News. The Yankees declined the News’ request for comment on the allegations involving A-Rod. A-Rod’s spokesman declined to comment as well.
A driver for Jay-Z also got a speeding ticket while driving on the West Side Highway, but a police officer “lost” the violation and the case was tossed, reports the News. Jay-Z’s publicist declined the paper’s request for comment.
The ongoing official investigation could bring more serious charges to some officers, who were caught on wiretaps arranging to meet and pay for dates with prostitutes, and trying to bribe their union delegates into dismissing summonses and arrests for either themselves or family members.
According to reports, investigation findings so far include:
- More than two dozen police officers fixed summonses in exchange for gifts, including tickets to Yankees games.
- At least 15 officers intentionally "lost" tickets as a favor to fellow officers.
- Dozens of cops asked union delegates to fix tickets for friends, relatives and "influential" figures, including unidentified city government officials.
- A handful of officers tried to have arrests voided for themselves or relatives.
Prosecutors from the Bronx district attorney's office are presenting evidence to a grand jury which ends May 28, but was extended another 30 days. Grand jurors were informed late last week that testimony in the case will likely be heard until June 20, reports the News.
