Cop busted in evidence tampering

A Queens NYPD cop with an extensive history of misconduct complaints and lawsuits has now been busted on evidence tampering charges, authorities said Friday.

Officer Kevin Martin, a 14year veteran, was arrested Thursday and charged with official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence.

A law enforcement source said Martin allegedly vouchered evidence on March 1, 2019, with his body camera off, then turned the camera on after to record the evidence — screwing up any chain of custody, the source said.

He was given a desk appearance ticket and is expected to answer the charges in Queens Criminal Court on Oct. 28, police said.

Martin joined the NYPD in 2006 and is assigned to the 109th Precinct in Flushing. An NYPD spokeswoman said the officer was suspended without pay.

Throughout his career, the CCRB has launched 33 abuse, discourtesy and excessive force investigations containing more than 80 allegations against Martin, who is considered one of the 10 most complained about officers in the department.

He’s also named in six civil lawsuits against the city, three of which have cost taxpayers more than $1.1 million in settlement claims, court documents show.

One of the CCRB investigations involved an improper vehicle search in Flushing on March 1, 2019 — the same day the alleged evidence tampering took place.

It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were connected. The CCRB investigation into the search stalled after the complainant became uncooperative, officials said.

Martin’s lawsuits usually involved false arrests, mostly for marijuana and low-level drug charges. In one federal case settled for $155,000, six different plaintiffs — including freelance TV reporter Francisco Zapata — argued that Martin and 11 other Bronx cops arrested them on bogus marijuana charges in 2011, claiming that the drugs were in plain sight.