Two veteran members of the NYPD found themselves on the wrong side of the court bench Wednesday after being indicted for allegedly assaulting a 26-year-old man in Corona last fall.
Detectives Angelo Pampena, 31, and Robert Carbone, 29, both assigned to the NYPD Patrol Borough Queens North Gang Unit, are accused of beating up the man, a U.S. Postal Service worker returning home from his shift, on 96th Street between Christie and 55th avenues on the night of Oct. 21, 2015.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Pampena and Carbone — who have a combined 17 years of law enforcement experience — confronted the employee as he sat in his vehicle. They then punched and kicked him repeatedly about the face and body, then dragged him out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk.
Prosecutors said Pampena later filed a criminal court complaint against the employee claiming that he was parked directly in front of a fire hydrant. The charges were later dismissed pre-trial after video evidence showed the employee’s car was parked more than 15 feet from the fire hydrant.
The two detectives were indicted on charges of second- and third-degree assault; Pampena was additionally charged with second-degree perjury, official misconduct and offering a false instrument for filing. Pampena and Carbone each face up to seven years behind bars if convicted.
Following their arraignment on Wednesday morning, the detectives were released on their own recognizance. They are scheduled to return to court on June 27.
The indictment was the result of an investigation conducted by the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.
