STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three members of a New Springville
family have settled their false-arrest lawsuit against the city for $55,000,
court records show.
Sheila Langilotti,
54, and her children, Stephanie Langilotti, 27, and Vincent Langilotti, 31, were
arrested on drug charges after an Oct. 28, 2009, raid at their residence.
No one was home when
cops entered, court papers said, and criminal charges against them were dropped
about six months later.
Also arrested were
Jason Langilotti, then 27, and a fifth person. According to Advance reports,
cops armed with a search warrant seized cocaine, Ecstasy pills, marijuana, drug
paraphernalia and $1,280 from a bedroom in the residence.
Jason Langilotti
later pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal possession of a controlled
substance and was sentenced to five years' probation, a law enforcement source
said.
Jason Langilotti and
the other person arrested -- against whom charges were later dismissed -- were
not part of the lawsuit filed by Langilotti's relatives against the city in
Brooklyn federal court.
Sheila, Stephanie and
Vincent Langilotti allege in their civil complaint that cops arrested them
without probable cause to believe they had violated any laws.
According to the
federal lawsuit, Stephanie Langilotti was driving on Marsh Avenue in her
community when cops pulled her over around 2:30 p.m. From there, she was taken
home and then brought to the North Shore's 120th Precinct stationhouse in St.
George for booking.
On learning her
daughter was being arrested, Sheila Langilotti returned home from work and was
arrested herself, court papers stated. Vincent Langilotti was arrested under
similar circumstances, court documents said.
Under the settlement
agreement, the city admitted no liability.
Sheila and Vincent
Langilotti will each receive $15,000, while Stephanie Langilotti will get
$25,000, court papers show.
A friend of Stephanie
Langilotti's, who was in her vehicle and detained by police, but not arrested,
will receive $5,000.
"This payment by
the city acknowledges the seriousness of these false arrests," said the
Langilottis' civil lawyer, Jason Leventhal of the Brooklyn firm Leventhal &
Klein. "Our clients agreed to the settlement to put this incident behind
them."
A city Law Department
spokeswoman said the city believes the settlement "is in the best interest
of all parties."