Jul 1, 2008 8:39 pm US/Eastern
Revenge The Motive Behind State Trooper Misconduct
32-Year-Old Lester Hooper Charged With Writing Phony Speeding Tickets
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBS) ―
A New York State trooper was hauled into court in handcuffs on Tuesday, charged with writing phony speeding tickets. The trooper lives in Brooklyn, but works in Westchester, where the DA says the officer brok the law trying to get revenge on a neighbor.
How uncomfortable must it have been - a fellow state police officer escorting trooper Lester Hooper into court - to face charges of official misconduct.
The troopers PBA reps wouldn't speak in his defense, leaving his lawyer union to do the talking.
"His service is impeccable with the state police. He's got a great reputation up until now and he'll continue to defend that reputation and that honor," said lawyer Pat Bonanno.
32-year-old Hooper is a former fed-ex driver who joined the state police 4 years ago. Hooper lives in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, where prosecutors say his wife recently got into a nasty dispute with a neighbor over a parking spot.
Hooper allegedly used his job with the state police in Tarrytown to exact revenge.
The DA says Hooper wrote five phony tickets against neighbor Derrick Perry without actually stopping him, charging Perry in three Westchester jurisdictions along I-287. The phony charges included speeding and failing to signal a lane change.
One source says Hooper left a computer and paper trail that made it easy to unravel the alleged misconduct.
Given the generally stellar reputation of the state police, many are shocked at the allegations.
"I can't believe a state trooper could do that," said one unidentified woman.
Hooper has been suspended without pay while the investigation continues. Hooper is out on bond Tuesday night, facing six felony counts and three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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