Defendants Convicted of Committing Eight Murders, Two Attempted Murders, Murder Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, Drug Distribution and Money Laundering, and for Disclosing Sensitive Law Enforcement Information to Mob Bosses

Benton J. Campbell, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced that retired New York City Police detectives Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito were sentenced today to life imprisonment without the possibility for parole for their April 6, 2006 convictions for racketeering, murder, drug distribution, and money laundering. The sentencing proceedings were held before Senior United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein, at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.

Almost three years ago, following three weeks of trial and two days of deliberations, a federal jury returned a verdict convicting the defendants of engaging in racketeering for decades, including while employed by the NYPD, during which time they directly participated in, or aided and abetted, eight murders, two attempted murders, and one murder conspiracy. The jury also found that the defendants routinely passed confidential law enforcement information to high ranking members and associates of the Luchese Organized Crime Family that disclosed the identities of numerous cooperating witnesses and compromised several state and federal investigations, and engaged in several instances of obstruction of justice, drug distribution, and money laundering.

After trial, the District Court ordered judgments of acquittal on the racketeering charges based on the statute of limitations. The government appealed, and on September 17, 2008, the Court of Appeals reversed, reinstating the jury’s verdict.

“The sentences imposed today bring some measure of closure for the families of the victims of these defendants’ unspeakable crimes and for the citizens of the City whose trust these men betrayed,” stated United States Attorney Campbell. “We are gratified that the defendants will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.” Mr. Campbell commended the extraordinary efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York, as well as the prosecutors, investigators, and staff of the United States Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work in this case.

The government’s case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Henoch, Mitra Hormozi, and Daniel Wenner, under the supervision of former Assistant United States Attorney Mark Feldman.

The Defendants:

STEPHEN CARACAPPA
Age: 67

LOUIS EPPOLITO
Age: 60

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