Top-ranking NYPD officer Jeffrey Maddrey abruptly resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations
Former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey attends a news conference in July 2023. Credit: AP/Jeenah Moon
The NYPD’s chief of department, Jeffrey Maddrey, abruptly resigned late Friday amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate, officials said Saturday, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office says it is investigating the allegations.
Maddrey, who joined the department in 1991, had been the highest-ranking uniformed official in the NYPD since December 2022.
In a statement, the NYPD confirmed Commissioner Jessica Tisch accepted Maddrey’s resignation Friday and that it was to take effect immediately. Tisch appointed Chief of Patrol John Chell to be interim chief of department.
Maddrey’s resignation came after published reports that Lt. Quathisha Epps, 51, alleged that Maddrey had coerced her into providing him sexual favors in exchange for workplace overtime. According to the reports, Epps received over $200,000 in overtime, an amount that doubled her pay. She was suspended earlier this week from her job with the NYPD effective Dec. 18, department records showed.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said: "These are extremely serious and disturbing claims that allegedly occurred at NYPD headquarters in Manhattan. We are investigating."
The allegations are the first scandal to face Tisch, who took over the commissioner’s job earlier this month, becoming the fourth person to occupy the position during the administration of Mayor Eric Adams. Her office issued a statement that said “the NYPD takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
Kayla Mamelak Altus, press secretary to Adams, said in a statement: “We are deeply disturbed by these allegations, and the NYPD is investigating this matter.
“Mayor Adams is working in close coordination with Police Commissioner Tisch as the NYPD conducts a separate departmentwide review to ensure that no high-ranking officers are using their powers inappropriately,” Altus said.
The allegations, first reported in the New York Post, detailed sexual conduct between 2023 and 2024.
Maddrey, who is married and lives in Queens, couldn’t be reached for comment.
His attorney, Lambros Lambrou, didn’t return a number of Newsday emails and calls for comment. Lambrou told the Post: “This is completely meritless, and we deny every aspect of it.”
On Saturday, Epps’ attorney, Eric Sanders of Manhattan, told Newsday he filed complaints about the allegations to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New York State Division of Human Rights.
He alleged the department was previously aware of Maddrey’s behavior. “If this was nipped in the bud earlier it would have stopped,” Sanders said.
According to Sanders, Epps had been a survivor of sexual trauma and abuse earlier in her life, and he alleged that Maddrey exploited her. Records show she joined the NYPD in 2005 and until recently had been working in Maddrey’s office as a lieutenant special assignment.
The chief of department oversees its crime-fighting strategies, quality-of-life initiatives and operational plans, according to the NYPD. Maddrey made $241,256 in 2023, according to public data published by the nonprofit Empire Center for Public Policy.
Maddrey had been the subject of inappropriate sexual allegations years ago with another female member of the NYPD.
In a Brooklyn federal lawsuit filed in 2016, a former NYPD inspector claimed that she and Maddrey were romantically involved while both worked at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn. The federal lawsuit, which alleged gender discrimination, was dismissed in 2019. The federal judge, Ann Donnelly, noted that Maddrey was docked 45 vacation days for his actions.
Earlier this year, Maddrey faced internal department charges that he inappropriately canceled an arrest in Brooklyn. Former Commissioner Keechant Sewell had proposed docking Maddrey 10 vacation days, but an NYPD administrative trial judge dismissed the case, which had been brought by the Civilian Complaint Review Board, on jurisdictional grounds.
Late Saturday, Tisch also announced that Chief of Internal Affairs Miguel Iglesias had been relieved of his command but didn't provide a reason why. Tisch's announcement said Iglesias would retire and that he would be replaced on an interim basis by Edward A. Thompson, a 38-year veteran of the NYPD who also worked with Tisch at the Department of Sanitation.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
