A disgraced Brooklyn narcotics cop was sentenced today to five years probation for a conspiracy to steal drugs from suspects and give the dope to snitches.
Sean Johnstone, who was fired from the NYPD after his felony conspiracy conviction in January, deserved to be sent to jail because he “abused his position as a New York City police officer” and tainted 200 drug prosecutions, Assistant District Attorney Charles Guria told Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Walsh.
But Walsh, a former cop himself, rejected prison for Johnstone, saying removal from society and rehabilitation were not issues for Johnstone and that sending him up the river would not prevent other corruption.
“I have yet to see a jail sentence deter a public official ”from misconduct,” said Walsh, citing corruption cases going back to the Knapp Commission. “People forget what they’re supposed to do 10 minutes after sentencing.”
Outside court, Johnstone’s lawyer, Anthony Ricco, was unusually terse, saying only that Walsh “did the right thing.”