Valerie Cincinelli is the New York Police Department officer who is accused of trying to have her boyfriend find a hitman to kill her ex-husband. NBC New York was the first to report on Cincinelli’s arrest on May 17. As a result of the charges she faces, Cincinelli has been suspended from duty without pay.
Cincinelli, a resident of Oceanside, Long Island, appeared in federal court on May 17 in Central Islip. She is accused of conspiracy to commit murder after being arrested by the FBI and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. Cincinelli was ordered to be held without bail after a judge decided that the suspect posed a “danger to the community.” The New York Post reports that when cops went to arrested Cincinelli, they pretended that they were there to notify her of her ex-husband, Isaiah Carvahlo Jr.’s, death.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Cincinelli Had Been on Modified Duty Since a 2017 Domestic Incident Involving Her Ex-Husband
Online records show that Cincinelli is a cop out of Queens’ 106th precinct. Speaking to NBC’s New York affiliate, an official said that Cincinelli had been on “modified duty” and was stripped of her gun stemming from a 2017 domestic violence incident.
2. At the Time of Her Arrest, Cincinelli Had Been Assigned to the Viper Unit
That incident involved Cincinelli’s ex-husband and boyfriend. The New York Daily News reports that Cincinelli was with the Viper Unit, a team that studies video surveillance cameras in public housing facilities. Viper stands for Video Interactive Patrol Enhanced Response. It is usually populated by officers who have been removed from regular duty.
3. Cincinelli Was Accused Spending Personal Time in Howard Beach While She Was Supposed to Be on Duty
Congrats to PO Cincinelli, Jamaica Rotary cop of the month. Keep up the good work!
Cincinelli has been with the NYPD since 2007. The New York Post reports that shortly after Cincinelli was assigned to the 106th, she became “involved with a local man she met on the job.” That man told internal affairs in 2017 that Cincinelli spent time with him at his home in the Howard Beach-section of Queens while she was on duty, according to the Post. Also in 2017, Cincinelli won “cop of the month” from the Jamaica Rotary.
4. Cincinelli Once Said, ‘I Love Kids, They’re My Soft Spot’
NYPD Officer Valerie Cincinelli of @NYPD106Pct charged in murder-for-hire plot to kill ex, to appear in Federal Court in Central Islip this afternoon. (PHOTO: Forum News Group — Domestic violence officer Valerie Cincinelli)
A 2016 article from Longwood University’s student magazine referred to Cincinelli as a 2006 graduate of the school. The same article said that Cincinelli was a part of the 106th precinct’s domestic violence unit. The officer was quoted in the article as saying, “We want kids to like us. That’s the next generation; they’ll be adults in 10 years. I love kids; they’re my soft spot. I feel like I’m making a difference by helping children and their families. Unfortunately, when I say hello to kids out walking with their parents, the parent sometimes says, ‘Don’t talk to them.’ Some parents teach their kids to hate the police.”
In January 2009, Cincinelli gave birth to a daughter.
5. One of Cincinelli’s Collars Became a Viral Story in 2017 After She Caught a Man Literally Red-Handed
Getty
One of Cincinelli’s arrests became a viral story in April 2017 when she collared a man who had literally been caught red-handed. The Post reported at the time that a man went into a Howard Beach bank and demanded cash. He left with a bag filled with $1,300 and a red dye bomb. When the bomb exploded the man dropped the money and ran for it. Officer Cincinelli happened to be in the Howard Beach area at the time.
Cincinelli told the Daily News that despite the man changing his clothes, she identified him while he was trying to mix with a group of seniors outside of a nearby nursing home. Cincinelli told the newspaper, “I picked up his shirt and there was dye on his boxers and on top of his jeans and his pocket. It was also on his hands.”
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