Ex-NYPD chief admits a relationship with subordinate, but denies he demanded sex for overtime pay
NEW YORK– A former New York City police officer admitted through his attorney Friday that he had a “consensual, adult relationship” with a subordinate but denied her claims he demanded sex in return for extra pay.
Jeffrey Maddrey stood silently as his attorney, Lambros Lambrou, made the allegations that culminated a week ago in his resignation as department chief, the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer.
Speaking to reporters at his Manhattan law firm, Lambrou said the 33-year NYPD veteran’s relationship with Lt. Quathisha Epps lasted only a “short time.” The attorney said Maddrey had no authority to sign off on overtime pay.
“Lt. Epps was caught with her hand in the cookie jar and is attempting to deflect her misconduct by making these allegations against Chief Maddrey,” Lambrou said.
The lawyer claimed he had text messages, phone records and “racy videos and photos” that Epps sent to Maddrey “to get him to start a relationship with her.”
Epps made allegations against Maddrey last weekend in a complaint she filed against the city with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In it, she alleged that Maddrey engaged in “quid pro quo sexual harassment” by forcing her to “provide unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities in the workplace.”
Epps, who held an administrative position in Maddrey’s office, was the NYPD’s top earner in fiscal year 2024, according to payroll data. raised more than $400,000. More than half of this consisted of overtime.
Epps claims that when she finally backed down on Maddrey’s demands, he retaliated by claiming she was abusing overtime, prompting the department to launch an investigation. Lambrou said Friday that the timing was wrong because Epps was already under investigation before she filed her complaint.
Epps’ attorney, Eric Sanders, said Lambrou’s admission that Maddrey had a sexual relationship with Epps undermined an earlier statement that denied “every aspect” of the allegations.
“We have a wealth of digital data that will hopefully bring this degenerate to justice,” Sanders said.
Maddrey, a close ally of mayor and former police captain Eric Adamsjoined the NYPD in 1991 and rose through the ranks to become chief of patrol in 2021.
Last year, Maddrey was promoted to department head, despite a history of internal disciplinary issuesincluding an allegation that he lied to investigators about an affair with another subordinate.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch accepted Maddrey’s resignation on December 20, effective immediately. She appointed John Chell, the patrol’s former chief, to the position on an interim basis.
The NYPD has declined to comment on the allegations against Maddrey, other than to say it “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and will investigate this matter thoroughly.”
Maddrey’s resignation follows months of scandal and leadership turnover at the NYPD, the nation’s largest police department. In September, Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after federal agents searched his home as part of an extensive investigation into members of Adams’ inner circle.
Shortly thereafter, Timothy Pearson, another Adams adviser with wide latitude over the NYPD, resigned after investigators Appliances and cash were seized from his home. He has also been accused of sexual harassment by several colleagues.
Neither Pearson nor Caban have been criminally charged, and both have denied wrongdoing.