A federal corruption lawsuit filed by four fired police officers against the Village of Mamaroneck was settled out of court to the tune of $2 million.
The Mamaroneck Police Department had been locked in a legal battle with the officers over the last several years. The four faced disciplinary charges after they were accused of secretly taping their chief and several fellow police officers. The officers claimed they were whistle blowers trying to shed light on a corrupt police department. The filed a federal corruption lawsuit against Mamaroneck in 2003 alleging cronyism, nepotism and misconduct.
The officers say their allegations led to them being terminated, which they say was a violation of their first amendment rights. This past summer, a federal judge ruled their firing was illegal because the village did not follow proper procedure. However, the judge didn't make any ruling on the corruption allegations.
The Mamaroneck Village Board of Trustees voted to settle the suit out of court for $2 million, which will be split between the four officers. As part of the settlement, the officers will not get their jobs back or have any benefits reinstated.