FBI agents search home of top NYPD official amid allegations he demanded sex for overtime pay

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal agents on Thursday searched the home of a former top New York City police official who resigned late last month after he was accused of demanding sex from a subordinate in exchange for opportunities to earn extra pay.

Law enforcement officials executed warrants on multiple locations, including the home of Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the NYPD, as part of a joint investigation, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that agents had carried out “court-authorized law enforcement activity” at Maddrey’s Queens address. It was not immediately known what other locations were searched.

“At my direction, the Internal Affairs Bureau of the New York City Police Department is working with law enforcement authorities to investigate allegations against former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey,” Tisch said in a statement.

Maddrey was accused last month of engaging in a “quid pro quo sexual harassment” with a subordinate and coercing her to “perform unwanted sexual favors in exchange for overtime opportunities.”

His accuser, Quathisha Epps, was the NYPD’s top earner in fiscal year 2024, pulling in more than $400,000 while holding an administrative position in Maddrey’s office. Her lawyer, Eric Sanders, said Maddrey repeatedly demanded sexual favors inside police headquarters and threatened her with retaliation if she did not comply.

Maddrey, through his lawyer, admitted to having a “consensual, adult relationship” with the woman, but denied any sexual misconduct. He resigned days after the allegations became public.

Tisch directed questions to the U.S. Attorney’s office, which declined to comment. An attorney for Maddrey also did not return an inquiry on Thursday.

The federal warrants come on top of investigations into the alleged abuse by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the city’s Department of Investigation.