Former Brewster Cop Pleads Guilty in Sex Trafficking Scheme
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By Rick Pezzullo
A former Village of Brewster police officer could face up to 25 years behind bars after pleading guilty Friday to charges in connection with a sex trafficking scheme.
Wayne Peiffer, 48, pled guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and conspiracy to commit bribery in violation of the Travel Act for his role in protecting two Queens-based prostitution businesses from law enforcement when operating in Brewster, in exchange for free sexual services.
“The defendant disgraced his sworn oath to protect and serve the community by using his badge as a shield for prostitution rings in exchange for sexual services from victims of sex trafficking,” stated United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace. “Rooting out official corruption and protecting victims and survivors of trafficking are top priorities of this office.”
According to court documents and facts presented during the proceeding before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak, from approximately 2010 through October 2018, Peiffer, a part-time office in Brewster since 2006, provided protection to members of a prostitution business and a sex trafficking organization that each transported women from Queens to Brewster, for the purposes of engaging in prostitution.
Peiffer’s protection included advance notice of law enforcement activities and assistance with avoiding detection and apprehension. In exchange, Peiffer directed members of the prostitution business and sex trafficking organization to deliver women to him, including at the Brewster Police Department station, for free sexual services.
“Sex trafficking and forced prostitution are crimes against the body and soul that shock the conscience of society,” stated Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky Patel. “For years, Wayne Peiffer abused his position as a law enforcement officer and betrayed the trust given to him by society, taking sexual favors from the women he was sworn to protect. Due to the hard work of HSI, EDNY prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners, Peiffer has pleaded guilty to his crimes and his network of violators has been dismantled.”
Peace noted the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.
Last December, Peiffer was among six individuals indicted after being arrested at his home in Highland. Since approximately May 2002, Peace stated members of the Queens-based Cid-Hernandez Sex Trafficking Organization allegedly engaged in the sex trafficking of young women and minor girls and the promotion of prostitution.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
