NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The former president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the union that represents 13,000 current and former NYPD sergeants, pleaded guilty on Thursday to embezzling $600,000 from the organization he led.
Ed Mullins, 61, lived a lavish lifestyle off the funds he stole from the fifth-largest police union in the country.
Between 2017 and 2021, Mullins used personal credit cards for personal expenses, luxury items and high-end meals. He would seek reimbursement from union expense accounts through fraudulent invoices. He would also inflate the cost of appropriate expenses and pocket the difference.
“Edward Mullins promised to look out for the thousands of hard-working NYPD Sergeants who are members of the SBA,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Instead, as admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to fund his lavish lifestyle.”
Most of the money he stole came from the SBA’s Contingent Fund, an account primarily made up of membership dues.
Mullins represented the roughly 13,000-member union for 19 years. His career ended when the FBI raided his home and office in October 2021.
He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He also agreed to forfeit $600,000 to the U.S. government and pay $600,000 in restitution to the SBA.
The union sued him for $1 million in March.
As part of his plea deal, he agreed not to appeal the sentence if the judge gives him 41 months — just under three-and-a-half years — or less.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 25.
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