Former Trooper Wynder Guilty
in LEEBA Fraud Got 40 Months a Year ago now
Release Opposed
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 15 – Kenneth Wynder, a
former New York State Trooper
and former president of the
Law Enforcement Employees
Benevolent Association is
charged with defrauding union
members by misappropriating
money from LEEBA’s Annuity
Fund.
On February
23, 2021 U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of
New York Judge P. Kevin Castel
had a proceeding. Inner City
Press covered it.
Jump cut to April
18, 2023, when Wynder and his
co-defendant and their three
lawyers were again before
Judge Castel. With a health
issue of counsel resolved, a
trial date was set in May.
On May 22, the
jury was selected and opening
arguments were held. Inner
City Press was there in the
gallery, as were a number of
AUSAs and others. Wynder's
lawyer, thankfully over health
problem though supported by a
cane, said his client had had
tax problems, and sloppy
record keeping - but had
fought for his members.
Andrew Brown's
lawyer, who called him Drew,
said his client had nothing to
do with Wynder's tax problem,
nor Dallas Cowboy tickets. One
of these things is not like
the others, he told the
jurors, quoting Sesame Street.
On May 23, a
witness recounted, with a
letter to Brown on the screen,
how the LEEBA account was
moved away from Oppenheimer.
Judge Castel had the
court reporter read back an
answer.
On May 24, Drew
Brown's lawyer, who in
openings quoted Sesame Street,
was cross examining a witness
about her email that it was
"excellent" to receive LEEBA's
money. Then accountant Russell
Furey was called to the stand
by the government.
On May 25, the US
pursuant to a stipulation with
the defendants read for the
jury portions of Wynder's
February 21, 2019 deposition
where he said LEEBA had
offices at 80 Broad Street and
in Briarcliff Manor and said
he made $180,000 a year from
LEEBA ($125,000 in 2017), and
on top of that his police
pension. Then other documents
were proffered... One of these
things, as they said, is not
like the others.
Then they were
conviction of KENNETH WYNDER
Jr., a former New York State
Trooper and the president of
the Law Enforcement Employees
Benevolent Association
(“LEEBA”), a labor union for
law enforcement officers
employed by the City of New
York (the “City”), and ANDREW
BROWN, a/k/a “Drew Brown,” the
former financial advisor for
LEEBA, for defrauding union
members by misappropriating
money from LEEBA’s Annuity
Fund. WYNDER was also
convicted of personal income
tax evasion and conspiring to
evade federal taxes, including
payroll taxes owed by LEEBA
and its employees.
Steven Whittick, LEEBA’s
former treasurer and a former
police officer for New York
City’s Department of
Environmental Protection
(“DEP”), previously pled
guilty to conspiring to commit
tax evasion and making false
statements to law
enforcement."
On January 3,
Wynder's lawyer wrote in to
ask for no jail time - home
incarceration - while the
Probation Department
recommends 54 months, on a
guideline of 70 to 87 months.
On January 10,
the US Attorney's Office wrote
in requesting sentencing
"consistent with the
recommendations of the
Probation Department" - that
is, 54 months.
Wynder got 40
months - and a year later
requested compassionate
release. On January 15, 2025
the US Attorney's Office
opposed release, while noting
that it has not received a
view from union members.
The case is
USA v. Wynder, Jr. et al.,
1:20-cr-470 (Castel)
***
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