Thomas Spota

Spota was born in 1941 and grew up in New Hyde Park, New York, on Long Island. He graduated from Chaminade High School, a private Catholic school in Mineola, New York. He earned degrees at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and St. John's University School of Law in Jamaica, Queens, New York.[http://contentsquad.typepad.com/marty_tankleff_blog/files/spotlight_on_da_thomas_spota.pdf Spotlight on DA Thomas Spota]

After passing the bar, Spota worked as an assistant prosecutor under Suffolk County District Attorney Patrick Henry, during the 1970s and early 1980s. He entered private law practice in Suffolk, representing clients including the Suffolk Detectives Association and other law enforcement unions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/opinion/for-da-in-suffolk-and-westchester.html|title=For D.A. in Suffolk and Westchester|date=2001-11-02|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-11-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

Spota's career ended with his disbarment in 2020 and his sentencing to five years in federal prison in 2021.

He lived in Mount Sinai, New York, with his wife. They have three grown children.

In 2001 Republican-turned-Democrat Spota ran for District Attorney, and defeated three-time incumbent James M. Catterson Jr in November 2001, taking 58% of the vote. That year in Nassau County, Democrats also were victorious in many positions.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E2D71039F934A35752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 THE 2001 ELECTIONS: NASSAU COUNTY; Suozzi Wins Easily in Rebuke of Nassau's G.O.P. Machine] He was reelected in 2005,[http://www.amityvillerecord.com/news/2006/0118/Front_Page/048.html Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota sworn in], Amityville Record and again in 2009 without any major-party opposition.[http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/boe/eleres/09ge/suffoff.htm#1 Suffolk County Board of Elections: 2009 Election Official Results]

Spota has been active in the fight against the distribution of child pornography over the Internet. In 2003, Spota indicted twelve Suffolk residents who used KaZaA, a file-sharing program to spread child pornography.[http://sites.managerslogin.com/folder49/listing/newsday_0703.pdf Suffolk Indicts 12 in Child Porn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823142252/http://sites.managerslogin.com/folder49/listing/newsday_0703.pdf |date=2006-08-23 }} Spota was called to testify before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 9, 2003, at a hearing concerning "Pornography, Technology, and Process: Problems and Solutions on Peer-to-Peer Networks." Spota recommended a new federal task force and said that legislation was needed to "attack the owners and the distributors of these programs, who are reaping enormous profits."[http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?id=902&wit_id=2557 Testimony of Mr. Thomas Spota, Suffolk County District Attorney, September 9, 2003]

From December 2010, his office oversaw the investigation of numerous homicides in Suffolk County, believed to have been perpetrated by a single unidentified person, known as the Long Island serial killer, or LISK. The remains of at least ten persons have been found on South Shore beaches, some of which are believed to be related. An arrest was made in July 2023 as Rex Heuermann was charged in three murders, and is a suspect in a fourth.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann's estranged wife goes to court for 1st time |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermanns-estranged-wife-court/story?id=104858840 |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=ABC News |language=en}}

Among the successful cases prosecuted by his office was the conviction in May 2017 of John Bittrolff, a Manorville carpenter charged with the homicides of sex workers Rita Tangredi and Colleen McNamee, whose bodies were found on area South Shore beaches in 1993 and 1994, respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.newser.com/article/64ad0c77a9ee4bdf9b1ec54425d42686/prosecutor-convicted-killer-may-be-tied-to-more-ny-slayings.html|title=Prosecutor: Convicted killer may be tied to more NY slayings|author=Frank Eltman, AP|work=Newser|access-date=2017-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913232025/http://www.newser.com/article/64ad0c77a9ee4bdf9b1ec54425d42686/prosecutor-convicted-killer-may-be-tied-to-more-ny-slayings.html|archive-date=2017-09-13|url-status=dead}}

In May 2013 the FBI and the US Attorney's Office opened an investigation into alleged actions by James Burke, Chief of the Suffolk County Police Department: the alleged assault of a suspect in police custody, a subsequent cover-up, and coercion of witnesses. The former chief pleaded guilty to reduced charges in February 2016.

The federal inquiry subsequently expanded beyond Burke to investigate a broader pattern of corruption in both the police department and the office of the Suffolk County district attorney, Thomas J. Spota.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/nyregion/james-burke-ex-suffolk-county-police-chief-guilty-plea.html|title=James Burke, Ex-Suffolk County Police Chief, Pleads Guilty|last1=Dollinger|first1=Arielle|date=2016-02-26|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-11-01|last2=Santora|first2=Marc|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} In October 2017, Spota and an aide were indicted on charges of obstructing the investigation of James Burke for police brutality.{{cite news |author= |title=Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota Indicted In 2012 Police Brutality Cover-up|url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Suffolk-County-District-Attorney-Thomas-Spota-Indicted-Police-Brutality-Cover-up-453097753.html|work=NBC|location=New York|date=2017-10-25|access-date=2017-10-25}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/da_in_new_york_is_accused_of_obstructing_probe_into_beating_of_suspect_by_f/|title=DA in New York is accused of obstructing probe into beating of suspect by former police chief|work=ABA Journal|access-date=2017-11-01|others=Debra Cassens Weiss|language=en}} Spota resigned from office on November 10, 2017. He was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and conspiracy charges in December 2019 {{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2019/12/17/ex-suffolk-county-da-thomas-spota-found-guilty-of-protecting-ex-chief-who-bashed-porn-thief/|title=Ex-Suffolk County DA Thomas Spota found guilty of protecting ex-chief who bashed porn thief|last=Andrew Denney|date=2019-12-17|website=New York Post|language=en|access-date=2020-02-01}} and disbarred in June 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/spota-disbar-felony-conviction-1.45565535|title = Former Suffolk DA disbarred from practice of law due to conviction| work=Newsday }} Spota's sentencing was delayed multiple times but he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and a $100,000 fine on August 10, 2021.

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Category:Living people

Category:Suffolk County district attorneys

Category:Fairfield University alumni

Category:Politicians from Suffolk County, New York

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Category:Chaminade High School alumni

Category:1942 births