A high-ranking prosecutor in the Brooklyn district attorney’s office is accused of forging judges’ signatures — for more than a year — to tap the phone of a love interest, authorities said Monday.
Tara Lenich, 41, a former deputy in the DA’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, was busted at her office Monday morning by the same squad of investigators who helped her build cases against gang members and drug dealers.
Over the course of nearly a year and a half, Lenich forged the signatures on 20 court orders to wiretap two cellphone numbers, according to a criminal complaint.
It was not revealed how many judges’ names were involved, but sources said it was more than two. It also was unclear whether she had a romantic relationship with the man she wiretapped, sources said.
When the ruse began to unravel, Lenich told colleagues she was conducting a “secret outside investigation,” sources said. That claim raised even more suspicions, leading to a probe.
“As soon as these allegations were uncovered, we conducted a swift and thorough investigation, immediately terminated the employee and ordered a comprehensive review of our protocols and procedures to make sure that this abuse of authority never happens again,” said a spokesman for acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Lenich appeared at her arraignment just before midnight wearing a bright pink wool overcoat, a black dress and black flat shoes.
“We take no pleasure in this appearance,” Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis said, noting her former position in the office. “This is a stunning betrayal to her oath of office and the justice system that we uphold.”
Defense lawyer Gary Farrell said Lenich has an unblemished record, and is known for “superior work.”
“These are serious and disturbing charges … but my client enjoys the presumption of innocence,” Farrell told Judge Curtis Farber.
Lenich faces 20 counts of possession of a forged instrument and two counts of eavesdropping. The most serious offense, the forged-instrument charge, carries a maximum of seven years behind bars if she’s convicted.
Farber set bail at $25,000 bond, with a $10,000 cash option. Lenich quickly posted bail and left the courthouse with her mother and brother in a black Chevy Suburban. She ducked under her pink coat in the backseat of the SUV.
