A New York City cop has been busted for running a prostitution ring.
A recent joint investigation by the FBI and the NYPD revealed that former cop Eduardo Cornejo was running a prostitution ring out of motels in the New York area.
Authorities were initially alerted to the prostitution activity by an anonymous tip claiming Mr. Cornejo, 33, was a pimp. Through wiretapping, the investigation confirmed that Cornejo was employing at least 10 prostitutes, The New York Times reports.
Cornejo was charged on Tuesday with transporting women in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, a federal offense.
“Rather than seeking to eradicate crime from the streets of the city, the defendant promoted prostitution and profited from his exploitation of women,” said Robert L. Capers, United Sates Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement.
After receiving the tip, investigators began following Cornejo to motels in the New York City area and wiretapping his phone.
On January 21, Cornejo was overheard on his phone, saying, “That might make it hot, though, standing outside with a bunch of girls. They’re going to know what’s up real quick.”
Cornejo would women by ferry to motels in Staten Island and the New Jersey area. Authorities believe he treated prostitution as a second job, often beginning immediately after ending his police shift.
“Police officers, like all public servants, are held to a higher standard, and should not violate the very same laws they are supposed to enforce,” said Diego Rodriguez, assistant director in charge of New York’s FBI office.
Cornejo was fired from the force on January 16, while the investigation was ongoing, after failing a random drug test. He had worked for the NYPD for nearly 11 years.