The attorney for former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who was accused of sexually harassing a lieutenant in exchange for her considerable overtime payment, resigning shortly after, has publicly targeted Maddrey’s accuser, calling her a “self-professed swinger” who is trying to “deflect her wrongdoing” with the allegations.
Lt. Quathisha Epps, who is under internal investigation for her surprising amount of overtime, accused Maddrey of sexually harassing her last Friday. She filed a discrimination complaint alleging Maddrey coerced her into “performing unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities.” When she rejected his advances, he “retaliated against her to falsely portray her as an abuser of overtime,” according to the complaint.
The probe into Epps’ $200,000 in overtime, which began last year, resulted in her suspension from the NYPD.
Maddrey’s attorney, Lambros Lambrou, has denied Epps’ allegations, asserting that she and Maddrey had a “consensual, adult relationship,” but that there was never any quid pro quo. He described Maddrey as a beloved member of the community and a “cop’s cop.”
“Lieutenant Epps got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and is trying to deflect her wrongdoing by making these allegations,” Lambrou said at a press conference Friday afternoon. He said Maddrey “never approves, assigns or gives overtime,” going on to explain that he could have never granted overtime in his position, and displaying overtime paperwork to support his claims. “That slip has to be signed by a supervisor. That supervisor is never a Chief,” Lambrou said.
The former chief appeared at the press conference with Lambrou, but did not speak himself.
Lambrou said Epps “is trying to deflect [from] her wrongdoing by making these allegations against Maddrey in the hopes that she’ll get away with part or all of her scheme.”
He called her a “self-professed swinger” who flooded Maddrey with “text messages, photographs, videos, phone records and x-rated and racy videos and photographs… we have all this evidence because she sent it to Chief Maddrey in her attempts to have him begin a relationship with her.”
The attorney also noted that last year, more than 415 NYPD employees made more than $100,000 in overtime.
In response to Lambrou’s statements, Epps’ attorney called him a “clown” on Friday, saying they have a “treasure trove of digital data that will hopefully bring” Maddrey “to justice.”
Meanwhile, Lambrou denied a newspaper report Friday that alleged Maddrey fled to a relative’s home in Georgia, noting the former chief was standing next to him in Lower Manhattan at the press conference. He also said Maddrey is now a practicing attorney and plans to fight the allegations.
Last year, Maddrey was promoted to chief of department despite a history of internal disciplinary issues, including an allegation that he lied to investigators about an affair with another subordinate. John Chell, the former chief of patrol, has been appointed to the position on an interim basis.
Federal and state prosecutors are currently conducting various investigations into the NYPD and Maddrey, respectively, and the New York City’s Department of Investigation is looking into the overtime disbursement.
The NYPD has declined to comment on the allegations against Maddrey other than to say it “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
