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NYPD 102nd Precinct stationhouse on 118th Street.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A Woodhaven woman who was convicted in October 2015 of offering sexual favors and cash to a City police officer investigating a suspected domestic abuse incident at her residence in exchange for dropping criminal charges against her recently won her appeal and had the conviction overturned by Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn, according to the appellant and Thomson Reuters FindLaw.com.
Luander Stephans, 35, was found guilty of third-degree bribery and falsely reporting an incident. She faced up to seven years in prison at the time.
According to trial testimony, cops from the 102nd Precinct arrived at Stephans’ residence at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2014, in response to an alleged domestic violence incident and discovered that her husband had previously been issued an order of protection which was still in effect. While an investigation was being conducted, Stephans allegedly offered to give investigating Officer Raymond Persaud $700 in cash and her phone number so they could go on dates and have sex if the charges were dropped.
A few days later, on Oct. 20, 2014, Stephans called the 102nd Precinct stationhouse on 118th Street in Richmond Hill and reported to a detective that while she was at the stationhouse on Oct. 16, Persaud “felt her breast, grabbed her private parts and asked her for $2,500 in cash.” Stephans further reported that since that day, she allegedly had received numerous calls from Persaud telling her “not to say anything.”
In its Decision issued in January, the appellate court ordered that “the judgment” against Stephans “is reversed, on the law and as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice…and a new trial is warranted.”
For more information on this case and the appeal, visit caselaw.findlaw.com/ny-supreme-court/1903134.html
