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Norman Seabrook | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 23, 1960 Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Empire State College |
| Occupation | Corrections officer |
| Employer | New York City Department of Correction (former) |
| Organization | Correction Officers Benevolent Association |
| Known for | Leadership; Corruption |
| Title | President |
| Term | 1995–2016 |
| Predecessor | Stanley Israel |
| Successor | Elias Husamudeen |
| Criminal status | Convicted |
| Criminal charge |
|
| Penalty | 58 months incarceration |
Capture status | Incarcerated |
| Imprisoned at | FCI Beckley |
| Notes | |
Federal Inmate # 77754-054 | |
Norman Seabrook is an American former law enforcement officer and union leader who was the president of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association from 1995 to 2016.[1]
Career
[edit]Seabrook became a corrections officer in 1985.[2] He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Empire State College.[3] As leader of COBA, which represents more than 9,000 officers within the New York City Department of Correction, Seabrook was known for his strong defense for union members.[4]
Seabrook was instrumental in pushing through the "Feces Bill" which made it a felony to throw feces at a corrections officer.[5] Seabrook fought for deals, sometimes in unison with other city unions, including the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York and the Uniformed Firefighters Association.[6] Seabrook lobbied for corrections officers to gain parity with the NYPD and the FDNY in pay and benefits.[1] In 2001, Seabrook was appointed by New York Governor George Pataki to the three-person, bipartisan "Task Force to Reform New York State and New York City Elections".[2]
Seabrook hosted his own radio show called, Real Talk, Real Time on WWRL 1600 AM in New York City market. This show aired weekly on Fridays.
Criminal issues
[edit]Seabrook was charged with taking a $60,000 bribe in connection with a $20 million investment of union members' money.[7] Seabrook was said to have been "presented with a Ferragamo bag by Jona Rechnitz."[8] $19 million of that investment was lost, but through lengthy deals $4.5 million has been restituted.[8] Seabrook was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 7, 2016, along with co-defendant Murray Huberfeld. Huberfield was the founder of Platinum Partners, a hedge fund to which COBA funds would be directed by Seabrook. In return for the COBA investments, Seabrook received kickbacks of between $100,000 and $150,000, depending on the amount invested by COBA.[9] The first trial ended in a hung jury.[1] In the second trial, Seabrook was convicted of corruption and was sentenced to 58 months in prison.[10]
As a result of the legal issues, his bank attempted to foreclose on his home.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Weiser, Benjamin; Greenberg, Zoe (February 8, 2019). "Norman Seabrook Was Once a Union PowerBroker in New York. Now He Is Going to Prison. (Published 2019)". New York Times.
- ^ a b "Biography of Norman Seabrook". University of North Texas. May 24, 2002. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Klein, Jeffrey D. (March 2, 2011). "Klein Honors Everyday Heroes At His Annual Black History Month Celebration Breakfast". Newsroom: Former New York State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein. Albany, NY: New York State Senate. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ Schwirtz, Michael; Winerip, Michael (December 15, 2014). "At Rikers Island, Union Chief's Clout Is a Roadblock to Reform". New York Times.
- ^ "After SDNY Sentencing Norman Seabrook Tells Inner City Press YouTube Is Doctored But Here It Is". www.innercitypress.com. February 8, 2019.
- ^ UFANYC. "Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York - UFA News". FDNY Union Website. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Stephen Rex. "Former jails union boss Norman Seabrook loses appeal in bribery case". New York Daily News.
- ^ a b STEIER, RICHARD. "Deny Seabrook Appeal Of Bribery Conviction; 58-Month Term Near". The Chief.
- ^ "Indictment". Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "Norman Seabrook, President Of Correction Officers Benevolent Association, Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison For Accepting Bribes In Exchange For Investing Union Money In New York-Based Hedge Fund". www.justice.gov. February 8, 2019.
- ^ "Deutsche Bank aims to foreclose on the home of former jail union leader". Crain's New York Business. August 25, 2020.
