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Auxiliary Cop Accused Of Hacking Into NYPD Database To Find Car Crash Victims

Published Mar 18, 2015

Modified Jul 24, 2017

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A high-ranking auxiliary police officer was charged with hacking into the NYPD database from a Brooklyn precinct. Yehuda Ari Katz, 45, is accused of trying to access the personal information of victims in car crashes "so he could charge the victims for fake legal work."

According to WCBS 2, "The NYPD and the FBI said Katz hid a camera in the traffic safety office at the 70th Precinct NYPD stationhouse in Kensington, Brooklyn... [he] installed high-tech devices so he could snoop on NYPD computers, and allegedly stole usernames and passwords - allowing him to search NYPD and FBI databases."

Katz is an auxiliary deputy inspector and has been in the auxiliary police for 18 years.

Apparently police officers at the precinct found the camera and then the Internal Affairs Bureau got involved. The Daily News reports, "Investigators found an electronic device connected to the computer had been logging into the NYPD database using the passwords of three cops on their days off. Their probe found more than 6,400 license plate numbers of vehicles involved in accidents had been queried."

One victim got a letter from Katz, in which he claimed to be an attorney at Katz & Katz PC and said, "I can advise you with 100% confidence that I can resolve this claim in your favor... My fee is 14% only when I collect. And I know you will collect." The News adds, "Prosecutors did not spell out how Katz profited from the scheme, but numerous calls on his cellphone were associated with medical clinics, law firms and chiropractors, suggesting he was getting kickbacks for referrals."

Katz was released on $75,000 bond. Here he is fleeing from WCBS's camera:

Auxiliary officers are unarmed and unpaid volunteers who assist the police officers in various neighborhoods with things like traffic control, crowd control and even, in some cases, make arrests. This is not a good month for auxiliary cops: A few weeks ago, two auxiliary cops were arrested for allegedly handcuffing and robbing a delivery man while posing as police officers—and they may have been involved in more crimes.