By: Hal C. Clarke

Former head of the NYPD sergeant’s union, Ed Mullins, has been granted a delay in his potential prison term for wire fraud, allowing him to continue receiving his six-figure pension.

Mullins, who faces up to 20 years in prison for embezzling union dues from the Sergeants Benevolent Association, was originally scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, NY Post reported.

However, he requested a postponement to complete a 12-week pre-sentencing course provided by the Focus Forward Project, aimed at helping defendants prepare for life in prison and reintegration into society.

Mullins’ defense attorney, Thomas Kenniff, stated that his client sought to complete the course to demonstrate his compliance at sentencing. Both the defense and prosecutors separately requested postponements, resulting in the rescheduling of Mullins’ sentencing to August 3, as Judge John Koeltl approved.

While awaiting his sentencing, Mullins has been receiving his pension, totaling $125,283, from the police pension fund. He retired in November 2021 and will continue to collect his pension despite his federal conviction, according to the NYC Police Pension Fund.

In January, as part of a plea deal, Mullins admitted to a single count of wire fraud and agreed not to appeal if the judge sentenced him to 41 months or less in prison. He also agreed to repay the SBA approximately $600,000 he embezzled through false and inflated expense reports submitted between 2017 and 2021. The funds were used for personal expenses, including lavish meals, clothing, jewelry, home appliances, and even a relative’s college education.

“During his plea allocution, Mullins admitted to defrauding the union by submitting inflated expense reimbursement reports as well as characterizing personal expenses as SBA expenses, which he knew to be false,” the SBA (Sergeants Benevolent Association) statement read at the time.

“As part of the plea, the court entered a preliminary forfeiture order in the amount of $600,000. As such, Mullins is required to make full restitution to the SBA,” the statement continued.

In a separate press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Mullins pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl to one count of wire fraud “in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the SBA through the submission of fraudulent expense reports.”

In the context of the announcement, 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.” He added, “Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, Mullins’s betrayal has been exposed, and he now faces jail time and significant financial penalties.”

Mullins’ defense attorney emphasized that despite his misconduct, his pension was earned through over four decades of honorable service with the NYPD. However, a police source noted that Mullins’ ability to receive a pension was due to a well-known loophole that allows retiring officers with more than 20 years of service, even if accused of crimes, to retain their pension.

Despite the financial security, the source stated that Mullins would face the consequences of his actions and likely have a difficult and lonely life.