A former New York City police commander was found not guilty of federal bribery charges on Wednesday. The former deputy inspector, James Grant, was accused of doing favors for two businessmen in return for lavish gifts, including a trip to Las Vegas with a prostitute. The seven-week trial found Grant not guilty on all charges, while businessman Jeremy Reichberg was convicted of several other bribery and conspiracy charges. The defense successfully argued that the relationship between Grant and the businessman was a friendship, and therefore not transactional. The highly publicized case cast a shadow over the NYPD, and even tarnished the reputation of Mayor Bill de Blasio, though he was not accused of any wrongdoing.
