Jun 17, 2008 8:21 pm US/Eastern
Police Horse Scandal Engulfs NYPD
Manhattan DA Investigating Whether Police Quartermaster Got His Girlfriend A Sweetheart Of A Deal
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is raising some nagging questions about a $2.5 million stabling contract for retired police horses. As CBS 2 HD has learned, it's the basis for a wide-ranging corruption investigation.
A big shot in the NYPD's mounted unit may have helped his alleged sweetheart get a sweetheart of a deal to care for retired police horses.
The owner of Smullen Stables in upstate Cobleskill tells CBS 2 HD that when Det. Richard DePamphilis, the quartermaster of the NYPD Mounted Unit, came to evaluate their facilities he brought along a woman now believed to be his girlfriend. What they didn't know was that she was also bidding on the contract.
"She was his photographer," Terri Smullen said. "She went around the farm taking pictures.
"We were talking with him openly about our contract, about our bid, everything involved in it."
Now the entire contract, including the girlfriend's Stone Horse Inn in Abbotsville, Pa., is being investigated by the Manhattan D.A. and the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau.
Sources say the probe will focus on whether the quartermaster helped his lady friend get inside information to help shape her bid.
There are also questions about how, once she won the bid, the woman was allowed to stable the horses in Pennsylvania, when the bid said the farm was in upstate New York.
"She was approved on a farm in New York, as well all had to be approved on the farm in which she resided," Smullen said.
"We felt that we were cheated we were also, um, you know, intimidated by the whole NYPD thinking."
New York City Councilman Peter Vallone further expanded on that point.
"Any allegation of fraud of favoritism for any city agency is troubling but when it involves the police force it's especially troubling because of the possibility of some sort of intimidation, so you have to take the charge seriously," Vallone said.
Sources say a whole raft of possible violations is being considered, from bid rigging and corruption to the improper filing of city contracts.
The owner of the Stone Horse Inn did not return calls seeking comment.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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