Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 2020 for his role in covering up his partner-in-crime, Police Chief James Burke’s unlawful beating of police department detainee Christopher Loeb.
Out on work release, the 83-year-old re-emerged this week for his part-time role under the supervision of the same Hauppauge criminal defense attorney who defended him years ago, Anthony LaPinta.
Though disbarred from practicing law as part of his original sentencing, Spota is cleared to work as a nonlawyer administrative clerk.
According to reports, Spota has been working at the firm—Reynolds, Coronia, Gianelli & LaPinta, L.L.P. Attorneys at Law—since August.
He does about 10 to 15 hours per week—a stark contrast from the hours he put in as the district’s top prosecutor once upon a time.
Spota’s conspiracy, obstruction, witness tampering, and corruption crimes have received renewed exposure through a pair of popular Gilgo Beach Killer documentaries released on Netflix and Peacock, respectively, in April and this past week.
The docs both contend that while Spota was busy scratching the backs of dirty deed-doers also tasked with leading premier investigative details, the Long Island serial killer who preyed on prostitutes remained at large, free to terrorize defenseless young women in plain sight.