The former cop and cellmate of late pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has been convicted of killing four people in a series of murders.
On Thursday, Nicholas Tartaglione was found guilty of the killings in Otisville, about 70 miles north of Manhattan.
The slayings claimed the lives of Martin Luna, Miguel Luna, Urbano Santiago, and Hector Gutierrez.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said Tartaglione suspected Martin Luna stole money from him before luring him, his two nephews, and a friend into a “deadly trap.”
“Tartaglione’s heinous acts represent a broader betrayal, as he was a former police officer who once swore to protect the very community he devastated,” Williams said, adding that “a jury has found Tartaglione guilty of these heinous acts, sending a message that no one is above the law.”
As Fox News reported:
Tartaglione, 55, retired from the Briarcliff Manor Police Department in 2008 following an injury he suffered five years earlier, according to The Associated Press.
He was allegedly selling cocaine, steroids, and other drugs when he accused Martin Luna of stealing more than $200,000 from him, federal prosecutors had alleged.
On April 11, 2016, Tartaglione allegedly lured Luna to a bar in Orange County, New York, where Luna was accompanied by his nephew, Miguel Luna; his niece’s fiancé, Santiago; and a family friend, Gutierrez.
“What occurred next could only be described as pure terror, as Tartaglione tortured Martin, then forced one of his nephews to watch as Tartaglione strangled Martin to death with a zip-tie,” Williams said in a statement Thursday.
“Tartaglione and two of his associates then transported Miguel, Urbano, and Hector —- who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time — to a remote wooded location, forced them to kneel, and executed them with gunshots to the back of the head,” he continued. “Tartaglione then buried all four victims in a mass grave.”
“We commend the career prosecutors and investigators for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case over the past seven years, and for ensuring that Nicholas Tartaglione faces a lifetime in federal prison for his unconscionable murder of four men,” Williams said.
“Most of all, we thank the victims’ families for trusting law enforcement to find their loved ones and see that justice was done.”
The case drew attention when it was reported Tartaglione was the cellmate of Jeffery Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
Epstein was found in his prison cell semi-conscious on July 23, 2019, and Tartaglione was accused of roughing him up.
However, the former cop ought the accusations and charges were never filed.
Epstein died of an apparent suicide the following month on August 10, 2019.
Last month, Epstein’s former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, admitted the pedophile sex trafficker did not kill himself.
While the lawyer initially said he believed Epstein did kill himself a week after his death, his tone changed when asked the same question in March.
“No, of course not,” Dershowitz said when asked if Epstein killed himself.
He quickly clarified, saying Epstein may have conspired with his guards to commit suicide.
“He didn’t kill himself without the help of some people. He did kill himself, but he killed himself with the help of guards,” Dershowitz clarified.
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