Latest news with #WinstonFaison
New York Post
02-08-2025
- New York Post
NYPD bosses got federal $$ for helicopter training they didn't need
The feds are looking into overtime abuse at the NYPD's elite Aviation unit under ousted NYPD Chief Winston Faison — who allegedly approved payments for rescue training for cop cronies who had nothing to do with rescues, The Post has learned. Lt. Lakeisha Smith, Lt. Winston Wright and Detective Tanesha Facey, Faison's driver, made up to 20 overtime hours per month — funded by a federal maritime safety training grant administered by FEMA, police sources said. 'They're literally doing nothing for the training whatsoever except putting in overtime slips,' one source said. 6 Former NYPD Aviation Commander Winston Faison's unit is being eyed for misuse of federal overtime dollars, police sources said. Winston Faison/ Facebook Smith's total pay for 2024 rose to $185,405 from $122,892 the prior year — or more than $60,000 thanks to overtime and other extras, like differentials for working later shifts or holidays. Facey's pay went from $115,923 to $159,249. Lt. Winston Wright's haul increased to $177,654 in 2024 compared to $135,595 the year before, according to state payroll data. None of the three are licensed pilots or mechanics or have anything to do with the training maneuvers, three sources said. The three officers didn't return messages. 6 Lt. Winston Wright's federal overtime pay is being eyed by investigators, sources and officials said. Faison was transferred by the NYPD last week as the Federal Aviation Administration investigated safety issues at the unit, reported exclusively by The Post. He has since retired, NYPD documents show. Smith filed her retirement papers Wednesday, sources said. The FAA went to the unit's headquarters earlier this month and demanded to see records about safety issues, including a hard landing and tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to an aircraft during a hovering exercise, The Post revealed last week. 'This matter is under investigation,' an NYPD spokesman said in response to an email asking about the safety and overtime issues. 6 Det. Tanesha Facey also got the federal overtime hours for air sea rescue training, police sources said. 6 Lt. Lakeisha Smith was one of the Aviation members who got federal overtime money meant for air sea rescue training, according to police sources. Obtained by the New York Post Faison, has only a few hundred hours of flying time under his belt in comparison to other unit pilots with thousands of hours, also took at least one off-the-books trip with the unit's Bell 429 helicopter that was not properly recorded in the aircraft's log book, the sources said. Faison took the pricey helicopter to Farmingdale Airport in Long Island on June 27 — where he keeps his personal plane and runs a non-profit called Aviate4Us to encourage inner city youth to become pilots, records show. The group has had about $20,000 in contracts with the city Department of Youth and Community Development, city records show. Facey was with Faison on the trip but he failed to include her when he filled out the helicopter's log book, which is supposed to show who was on the flight and where it went, records obtained by The Post show. 6 The FAA is also looking at safety issues at the unit, including damage done to a helicopter during a hovering training exercise with Faison as pilot, police sources said. Obtained by the New York Post 'When Faison put it over on the radio, he said 'Faison airborne,'' a law enforcement source said. But the supervisor on duty knew he wasn't alone and incuded Facey in the master log book entry he made, according to records. Faison also didn't get permission from headquarters at One Police Plaza to leave the city and fly to the airport, which is required, the sources said. He also didn't record that he landed in Farmingdale and instead noted only a stop in Islip where the NYPD's keeps its spy plane. 6 Chief Winston Faison approved the federal overtime payments to his cronies, police sources said. Winston Faison/ Facebook The FBI is looking at the misuse of the overtime grant money as part of a larger investigation that began after The Post exclusively reported bombshell allegations that disgraced NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey paid Lt. Quathisha Epps overtime for sexual favors, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said. 'It's a massive investigation,' a second law enforcement source said.
New York Post
26-07-2025
- New York Post
Ousted NYPD Aviation head was 'incompetent boob,' a police source said
The head of the NYPD's Aviation Unit was booted from the elite squad this week after trying to block the feds from probing his dangerous mishaps, The Post has learned. Aviation's Commanding Officer Winston Faison was an 'incompetent boob' who had numerous breaches in safety as he attempted to make himself the unit's head helicopter instructor, whistleblowers revealed. When FAA inspectors made a surprise visit to the base on July 16 because of internal complaints to the agency, Faison flipped his lid, police sources said. Advertisement 9 The NYPD's Aviation Unit's former Commanding Officer Winston Faison is being investigated internally, police sources said. Winston Faison/ Facebook 'Do not give them anything!'' he barked at his cops, an insider said. 'Who let them on the base?' Members have complained to the FAA and to NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau about Faison, 52, who took over in 2023 after stints at Youth Strategies, Community Affairs and two Brooklyn precincts. Complaints included: Advertisement Nearly crashed at the Brooklyn home base while flying the unit's pricey Bell 407 training helicopter with a student next to him during a hard landing in the last week in June. 'He and the student hit the ground hard,' the first source said. Neither was hurt. while flying the unit's pricey Bell 407 training helicopter with a student next to him during a hard landing in the last week in June. 'He and the student hit the ground hard,' the first source said. Neither was hurt. Took the same helicopter for a solo jaunt up the Hudson River on April 25, flying in the wrong seat against manufacturer's rules. 'There are emergency procedures that can only be performed sitting in the right (hand) seat,' said a second police source. The helicopter's tail rotor leaked oil and Faison didn't catch it because he doesn't do pre-flight checks as required by the FAA, the sources said. 'When he landed the tail of the aircraft was covered in oil,' the second source said. Hired new employees without the oversight of the NYPD, the sources said. 'He's working around department rules to get his people in,' a third source said. Oversped his rotor and 'could have torched a half-million engine we just got,' the first source said. 'Drooped'(cq) the rotor system down to dangerously low speeds, nearly crashing, the sources said. Caused structural damage to a $40,000 tail rotor while practicing a 'quick stop' maneuver over rocks on July 4. 'If that goes, you're going to spin around like a top,' the first source said. 9 He caused was damage to the unit's training helicopter during a hovering maneuver, police sources said. Obtained by the New York Post 9 The damage was structural and the $40,000 tail rotor had to be replaced, the sources said. Obtained by the New York Post Luckily, the tail rotor damage occurred during the final flight on the July 4 holiday, so Faison couldn't fly again, the sources said. Advertisement 'He didn't understand why he couldn't keep flying,' the first source said. The incident wasn't immediately reported to the National Transportation Safety Board as required, the third source said. 9 Faison used up the training helicopter's hours to get his instructor's license, the sources said. Instagram/ independentheli The unit bought two new blades for a total $80,000 to be safe, the sources said. Advertisement The Bell 407, which is used for teaching new pilots, was purchased in 1996 and is worth about $1.5 million. The unit also has four Bell 429's for patrolling, two Bell 412's for air sea rescues and a spy plane that can detect radioactivity. During the FAA visit, the feds left word that they would be back to talk to Faison, but he told his cops to keep them out, the sources said. 9 Faison went to an $80,000 weeklong class in Texas for training in the Bell 412 for air sea rescues, the sources said. Winston Faison/ Facebook 'He's telling them you're not to let the FAA through the guard booth,' the second source said. Faison also threatened to lock up the records, the insiders said. ''We're not locking up these records,'' the mechanics said, according to the second source. 9 Faison became an NYPD officer in 2000 and joined Aviation in 2023, records show. Winston Faison/ Facebook 'His biggest fear is for him to be exposed as the incompetent boob that he is,' a second law enforcement source said. Advertisement 'The only way this guy is going to learn his lesson is when he kills somebody,' another source added. Faison who insiders say is friends with Mayor Adams, was put in charge of the unit in 2023 and made $234,903 in 2024, records show. 9 Faison also runs a non-profit that aims to help underpriviledged kids become pilots. Winston Faison/ Facebook Faison, who joined the NYPD in 2000 and became the unit's first black commander to fanfare in 2023, began training for his instructor's license in April and obtained it May 28. Advertisement He got his coveted helicopter instructor's license in record time on the city's dime despite showing up so late to a $80,000 course in Texas that concerned trainers in the Lone Star State called the unit's base at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, the second source said. 'It used to take a decade to become a helicopter instructor in the unit,' the third source said. 'This guy does it in 18 months.' 9 Faison made history in 2023 when he became the first Black man to run the elite NYPD unit. News 12 Like most NYPD pilots, he had a private plane license when he joined the unit. Advertisement Faison went to two Bell training programs on the city's dime totaling more than $100,000 — one for $80,000 and the other around $20,000, including the air and sea rescue class he showed up to late in Texas despite having a travel day, the sources said. Meanwhile, pilots in the unit are working double and triple shifts because of high attrition at the NYPD, the sources said. 9 Faison previously worked in two Brooklyn precincts. Winston Faison/ Facebook 'He used up all the hours in the helicopter,' a fourth source said, explaining that helicopters have to be taken out of service after so many flying hours. 'There were pilots sitting around because he pushed them aside for himself.' Advertisement No reason was given for his ouster in an internal NYPD document that went out to members Thursday night. A police source familiar with Faison's transfer said he is under internal investigation. The FAA could suspend or revoke Faison's pilot's license. Faison hung up on a reporter who called him Friday. The NYPD didn't comment.
