Former NYPD detective sentenced to 24 months in prison for obstructing narcotics investigation
NEW YORK – United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman and DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan announced that former New York City Police Department detective Saed Rabah was sentenced to 24 months in prison for knowingly providing misinformation to a federal law enforcement officer in order to obstruct a narcotics investigation. Rabah pled guilty Dec. 14, 2018, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
“As an NYPD detective, Saed Rabah’s first duty was to uphold the law, not befriend known drug dealers and assist in their criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Berman. “Now Rabah, a convicted corrupt former police officer, will serve time alongside criminals he and his colleagues arrested.”
According to the information and a previously filed criminal complaint:
The target of a narcotics investigation was a cooperator in another court proceeding and Rabah was his handler. Despite his obligation as a cooperator to engage in no further criminal conduct, the target continued to operate a sophisticated narcotics distribution business. In May 2016, Rabah was contacted by law enforcement and informed that the target was under investigation for narcotics-related offenses. In September 2016, Rabah was again contacted by law enforcement, this time about whether Rabah had a phone number for the target. Rabah waited to respond and, when he did, intentionally provided a phone number for the target that Rabah knew the target was no longer using, rather than providing the target’s active phone number through which Rabah and the target were regularly communicating.
As alleged in the complaint, Rabah’s obstruction of the investigation was only one component of his corrupt relationship with the target. Rabah and the target traveled to Las Vegas together in July 2016. Moreover, Rabah warned the target when Rabah observed one of the target’s employees make a drug delivery in a manner that Rabah believed could have drawn the attention of law enforcement.
In addition to the prison term, Rabah, 46, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $10,000.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA Westchester Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Yonkers Police Department, Orangetown Police Department, NYPD, Westchester County Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, New Windsor Police Department and the Woodbury Police Department. He also thanked the special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Celia V. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
