Former NYPD officer admits relationship with subordinate, but denies he wanted sex to pay for overtime

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City's former top police chief admitted through his attorney Friday that he had an “adult-friendly relationship” with a subordinate, but denied allegations that he wanted sex for extra pay.

Jeffrey Maddrey stood silent as his attorney, Lambros Lambrou, addressed the allegations that led to his resignation last week as the department's chief, the NYPD's top uniformed officer.

Lambrou, speaking to reporters at his Manhattan law office, said the relationship between the 33-year NYPD veteran and Lt. Quateacher Epps took “only a short time.” The attorney said Maddrey does not have the authority to sign overtime money.

“Lt. “Epps was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and is trying to deflect his guilt by making these allegations against Chief Maddrey,” said Lambrou.

The attorney said he has text messages, phone records and “raw videos and photos” that Epps sent to Maddrey “to start a relationship with.”

Epps revealed the allegations against Maddrey last weekend in a complaint he filed against the city with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In it, she said Maddrey engaged in “persistent sexual harassment” by forcing her to “perform unwanted sexual acts in exchange for overtime opportunities at work.”

Epps, who held an administrative position in Maddrey's office, was the NYPD's top earner in fiscal year 2024, according to payroll data, pulling in more than $400,000. More than half of it was overtime pay.

Epps alleges that when she finally objected to Maddrey's request, she retaliated by saying she was abusing overtime, prompting the department to launch a review. Lambrou said on Friday that the time did not match because Epps was being investigated before he filed his complaint.

Epps' attorney, Eric Sanders, said Lambrou's admission that Maddrey had a sexual relationship with Epps undermined an earlier statement denying “all aspects” of the allegations.

“We have a wealth of digital data that will hopefully bring this to light,” Sanders said.

Maddrey, a close friend of the mayor and former police captain Eric Adams, joined the NYPD in 1991 and rose through the ranks to become chief of police in 2021.

Last year, Maddrey was promoted to head of the department despite a history of internal disciplinary action, including allegations that she lied to investigators about having an affair with a subordinate.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch accepted Maddrey's resignation on December 20, effective immediately. He appointed John Chell, the former head of the guard, to this position on a temporary basis.

The NYPD declined to comment on the allegations against Maddrey other than to say they “take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will investigate the matter further.”

Maddrey's resignation follows months of frustration and leadership change at the NYPD, the nation's largest police department. In September, Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after federal agents searched his home as part of a broader investigation of members of Adams' circle.

Shortly thereafter, Timothy Pearson, another Adams adviser with wide latitude over the NYPD, resigned after investigators seized tools and money from his home. He has been accused of sexually harassing many of his colleagues.

Neither Pearson nor Caban have been charged with a crime, and both deny wrongdoing.