Thomas J. Spota III (born 1941, New York) is a former American attorney and politician, who served as the District Attorney of
Suffolk County, New York, serving from 2002 to late 2017, but was disbarred on June 10, 2020. Spota resigned November 10, 2017, after he was indicted on federal charges of obstruction of justice in the investigation of Suffolk County Police Chief
James Burke. Spota was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to five years in federal prison and fined $100,000 .
Early life and education
Spota was born in 1941 and grew up in
New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park is a village in the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the anchor community of the Greater New Hyde Park area. The population was 9,712 at the 2010 census.
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, on Long Island. He graduated from
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic Marianist college preparatory high school for boys in Mineola, New York, United States. Chaminade’s main campus is also home to Saragossa Retreat Center, one of their three retreat houses.
Athletics
T ...
, a private Catholic school in
Mineola, New York
Mineola is a village in and the county seat of Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from an Algonquin Chief, Miniolagamika, which means "pleasant village".
...
. He earned degrees at
Fairfield University in
Fairfield, Connecticut, and
St. John's University School of Law in
Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Law career
After passing the bar, Spota worked as an assistant prosecutor under Suffolk County District Attorney Patrick Henry, during the 1970s and early 1980s. He entered private law practice in Suffolk, representing clients including the Suffolk Detectives Association and other law enforcement unions.
Spota's career ended with his disbarment in 2020 and his sentencing to five years in federal prison in 2021.
Personal
He lived in
Mount Sinai, New York
Mount Sinai is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Town of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 12,118 at the 2010 census. The hamlet is located on the North Shore of Long Island.
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, with his wife. They have three grown children.
District Attorney of Suffolk County
In 2001 Republican-turned-Democrat Spota ran for
District Attorney, and defeated three-time incumbent
James M. Catterson Jr in November 2001, taking 58% of the vote. That year in Nassau County, Democrats also were victorious in many positions. He was reelected in 2005, and again in 2009 without any major-party opposition.
Spota has been active in the fight against the distribution of
child pornography
Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
over the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. In 2003, Spota indicted twelve Suffolk residents who used
KaZaA, a
file-sharing program to spread
child pornography
Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...
. Spota was called to testify before the
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...
on September 9, 2003, at a hearing concerning "Pornography, Technology, and Process: Problems and Solutions on Peer-to-Peer Networks." Spota recommended a new federal task force and said that legislation was needed to "attack the owners and the distributors of these programs, who are reaping enormous profits."
From December 2010, his office oversaw the investigation of numerous homicides in Suffolk County, believed to have been perpetrated by a single unidentified person, known as the
Long Island serial killer
The Long Island serial killer (also referred to as LISK, the Gilgo Beach Killer, the Manorville Butcher, and the Craigslist Ripper) is an unidentified suspected serial killer who is believed to have murdered between 10 and 18 people over a p ...
, or LISK. The remains of at least ten persons have been found on South Shore beaches, and are believed to be related. The open homicide investigation is still underway.
Among the successful cases prosecuted by his office was the conviction in May 2017 of
John Bittrolff
John Bittrolff (born July 1, 1966) is an American convicted murderer and former suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case. In July 2014, he was charged with the murders of Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee. He is also a suspect in the murde ...
, a Manorville carpenter charged with the homicides of prostitutes Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee, whose bodies were found on area South Shore beaches in 1993 and 1994, respectively.
Criminal activity
In May 2013 the FBI and the US Attorney's Office opened an investigation into alleged actions by James Burke, Chief of the
Suffolk County Police Department
The Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) provides police services to 5 of the 10 Towns in Suffolk County, New York. It is one of the largest police agencies in the United States, with approximately 2500 sworn officers.
History
Prior to 196 ...
: the alleged assault of a suspect in police custody, a subsequent cover-up, and coercion of witnesses. The former chief pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February 2016.
The federal inquiry subsequently expanded beyond Burke to investigate a broader pattern of corruption in both the police department and the office of the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota.
In October 2017, Spota and an aide were indicted on charges of obstructing the investigation of James Burke for police brutality. Spota resigned from office on November 10, 2017. He was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and conspiracy charges in December 2019 and disbarred in June 2020.
Spota's sentencing was delayed multiple times but he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and a $100,000 fine on August 10, 2021.
See also
*
List of district attorneys by county
This is a list of American state-level prosecutors, often known as District attorney, district attorneys. In states which hold partisan elections for prosecutorial positions, the party affiliation of each prosecutor is noted.
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Alab ...
References
External links
Suffolk County District Attorney's office
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spota, Thomas
Living people
Suffolk County district attorneys
Fairfield University alumni
Politicians from Suffolk County, New York
St. John's University School of Law alumni
Chaminade High School alumni
1942 births