Defendant pleads guilty in extortion and firearms charges

120th precint, Staten Island, where Llakatura was assigned

According to the US Attorney, EDNY, "Yesterday, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, Denis Nikolla pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, one count of threatening physical violence in furtherance of an extortion plan, and one count of brandishing a firearm.  The proceeding took place before United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano.  When sentenced, Nikolla faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years.  One of his co-defendants, Besnik Llakatura, who served as a police officer with the New York City Police Department during the charged crimes, previously pleaded guilty in this case. "  See full story here....https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/defendant-pleads-guilty-extortion-and-firearm-charges

Basically several defendants were involved in shaking down nightclubs and restaurants for "protection money" and if they did not pay, they would shove a gun into the owner's ribs to show that they meant business. They collected up to $4,000.00 a month from stores.

When I first read the headline I did not realize that I knew someone from this case until I actually read the story the next day. It talks about a cop from Staten Island who played the good guy, and who was part of the extortion team and this former cop, Besnik Llakatura, I met at MDC Brooklyn when I was waiting for transfer to the camp at Otisville. He was in same the unit as other corrupt law enforcement officials. He used to play a lot of chess while I was there back in the summer of 2014. It is strange when I looked up his name on the inmate locator, it does not come up. Maybe the BOP spells it differently or they are protecting him for his own safety. In any event, I read that he took a plea. See story here...http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2015/12/disgraced_cop_takes_plea_in_ex.html

The victim and defendants were of Albanian descent.

He never really discussed his case with me but I realized he did something bad to end up in MDC. Brooklyn.  He told me that he was a former cop working out of the 120 precint.  He used to hang out with the other former cops at 7 North, MDC.  Either he was too proud or too embarrassed to tell me exactly what he did.  I don't see a picture of him. He was kind of light skin, tall, lanky and bald. 

Hopefully he learned from his bad ways and is remorseful and the judge will cut him a break.

To read more what I went through in  jail, go here....http://www.amazon.com/PRISON-expect-Federal-Bureau-Prisons-ebook/dp/B011GTWLOG