Former Brewster Cop, Involved in Gun Incident at Home, Receives Sentencing

Patrick Frezza, the former cop who has spent the last 10 months behind bars after a domestic dispute and a subsequent standoff with police, is looking at more time in jail.

Carmel Town Justice Thomas Jacobellis sentenced Frezza Tuesday to a total of 18 months at the Putnam County Correctional Facility. He has been there since his initial arrest.

Jacobellis noted Frezza's "distinguished career in law enforcement"—which included several years as a part-time member of the Brewster Police Department, and many before that as a full-time member at the Yonkers Police Department—but he said the events of March 30, 2012 were "serious and concerning."

"I truly hope you have a productive life upon your release," Jacobellis said to Frezza, who was dressed in a khaki jumpsuit. He stood between his attorney and a corrections officer. His hands were shackled.

The incidents involved a verbal dispute with Frezza's wife at their Mahopac home. It apparently escalated, and Frezza fired several shots from 45-caliber handgun, police said. 

When officials arrived on the scene, they surrounded the house. A standoff with Frezza, who reportedly had a "large cache of firearms," ensued. It ended when he surrendered.

The sentencing, which was part of a plea deal, came with orders of protection issued on behalf of family members. The specifics of the orders vary.

Frezza was initially charged with three counts of felony reckless endangerment, three counts of misdemeanor second-degree menacing and one count of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. He was held without bail, and at the time, he retained Carmel-based lawyer Christopher Maher.

Additional charges—two counts of misdemeanor criminal contempt in the second degree—were filed a few weeks after the initial arrest.

Frezza, who worked with K-9 partners for much of his career, pleaded guilty in December 2012 to charges of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. On Tuesday, Jacobellis ruled six months in jail for the former and 12 months for the latter. The sentences are to run consecutively, he said.

Frezza will get credit for time served, Maher said in this LoHud.com story by Terence Corcoran.

See the following stories for more information:

• Brewster Says Goodbye to Cezar
• Brewster's K-9 Team Takes Win at Drug Certification
• K-9 Unit Discovers In-Transit Pot Package
• [Updated] Police: Ex-Cop in Jail After Shooting
• Ex-Brewster Cop Appears in Court