Vera Mekuli was named as the New York Police Department officer who was the woman who gave a married lieutenant a lap dance in a video that has gone viral.
That’s according to The New York Post, which named the lieutenant in the video as Nick McGarry. The incident took place in a tavern in Yonkers, and it’s provoked a controversy, according to The New York Post.
She is 26 years old and lives in the Bronx in New York, according to online records.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Video Shows Mekuli Grinding in McGarry’s Lap
The video at the holiday party shows Mekuli grinding in McGarry’s lap as other people gather around, some wearing holiday sweaters.
Daily Mail reported that McGarry, who worked in the 44th Precinct and has worked for the NYPD since 2010, was reassigned “to serve in Transit District 12 in the Bronx” as a result of the video.
He earned $188,000 last year, according to 50-a-org. That site describes him as “Lieutenant at 44th Precinct since April 2021” who “also served in: Uniformed Promotions Training Unit, 48th Precinct.”
Mekuli hasn’t been disciplined; McGarry has a higher rank than she does.
2. Mekuli Called Herself ‘Highly Motivated’ on LinkedIn, Saying She Tends to ‘Go After What I Want’
Mekuli’s LinkedIn page is now deleted. However, The New York Post reported that she called herself a “highly motivated and determined individual” on it.
“I tend to go after what I want and I don’t stop until I get it. If I am to fail. I pick myself up and try again,” her LinkedIn bio said, according to The Post.
“Success does not come without failure. I’ve learned at a very young age that success/wealth/opportunities isn’t just given or handed to you, it is earned; earned by hard work and time you put in. I have tackled every task, every obstacle, that came before me. I like helping others and I always put others before myself.”
3. Mekuli Once Worked as a Real Estate Agent
A cache of the now-deleted LinkedIn page says that Mekuli worked as a real estate agent at two different companies before she became a cop.
She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/police science from John Jay College and is from the Bronx.
She doesn’t have any obvious other social media pages.
4. McGarry’s Wife Was Enraged by the Media Coverage
The New York Post tried speaking to McGarry’s wife, and it didn’t go well.
The Post reported that a “red-faced Lt. Nick McGarry had to physically hold back his fuming wife outside their home in New Windsor in Orange County” when the Post asked about the video.
“F–k you!” McGarry’s wife, Melissa McGarry, told The Post as her husband said, “It’s not worth it, get back in the car.”
“There are other things to worry about in this world!” the wife told The Post, which reported that she repeatedly screamed expletives at the journalist.
5. Mekuli’s Father Says She Made a ‘Mistake’
The Post also spoke with Mekuli’s father.
“She told me, ‘Daddy, I make some mistake. I’m very embarrassed about what I did. I embarrassed you and my family,'” the article says.
The father said she cried over the situation, and he blamed McGarry.
“She cried and cried,” the dad told The Post. “She is young. … He is married, the lieutenant. He should know better. I am going to sue them.”