Two NYPD officers pleaded not guilty after accused of allegedly covering up a drunk driving crash involving an off-duty officer.
Officers Michael Caligiuri and Ryan McLoughlin faced a judge Friday on charges including tampering with evidence and falsifying records.
“The defendants allegedly went to great lengths to protect a fellow officer from accountability,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
Prosecutors claim that Caligiuri and McLoughlin answered a 911 call of a car crash involving an intoxicated driver at West 26th Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan on the night of Oct. 16, 2024. The person who called 911 told one of the officers that the driver of the Infiniti SUV that had crashed, Eli Garcia, showed him a police badge and identified himself as a police officer, prosecutors allege. An NYPD-issued parking placard was also visible on Garcia’s vehicle, according to Bragg.
NYPD Officer Michael Caligiuri is brought through a court hallway on Friday Feb. 20, 2026 (Image: NBC New York)
Caligiuri is accused of failing to question Garcia about his alleged intoxication, and then positioning his body camera so it would not fully show Garcia.
Prosecutors say Caligiuri and McLoughlin exchanged text messages on their personal phones, which included the following exchanges:
“Idk [I don’t know] what to do.”
“It’s bad man.”
“I’ll hold your camera?”
According to prosecutors, Caligiuri then took off his body camera and gave it to McLoughlin, who held it up as Caligiuri called a supervisor. McLoughlin sent a text to Caligiuri asking what the supervisor said, but no response was sent.
Garcia left the scene in Chelsea and was arrested hours afterward at his home in the Bronx, according to the D.A.’s office. Court records show Garcia pleaded guilty to drunk driving, paid a fine, got no jail time and retired from the NYPD.
Caligiuri, 31, and McLoughlin, 30, were in handcuffs as they faced a judge Friday. They were surrounded by supporters that included family, fellow officers, and their union.
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NYPD Officer Ryan McLoughlin is escorted through a court hallway on Friday Feb. 20, 2026
“These police officers did their job. We should not be here today,” said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry, who accused the DA of targeting the officers. “He needs to support officers instead of going after them. Enough is enough.”
“This type of conduct significantly harms the public trust in law enforcement. Everyone must be treated the same under the law, regardless of their position or background,” Bragg added in his statement.
The officers are charged with first-degree tampering with public records, falsifying business records, tampering with physical evidence, and official misconduct.
NYPD officers Michael Caligiuri, 31, (left) and Ryan McLoughlin, 30, pleaded not guilty to the cover-up charges. Photo: Dean Moses/amNY
Caligiuri and McLoughlin face the possibility of a trial. The D.A. is considering offering them a deal, which would mean no time behind bars. But a source tells NBC New York that it would require the officers to step aside from the NYPD.
For now they remain on the job, due back in court in June.
The NYPD confirmed the officers’ arrests, but declined to comment further.