Gun lawyer to stars paid inside guy: feds
A self-proclaimed gun lawyer to the stars kept an NYPD cop on the payroll in a bribes-for-permits scam that secured expedited license renewals for his clients and smoothed over legal issues that might have cost them their pistol permits, federal authorities said. John Chambers, 62, was charged with bribery and conspiracy in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, in the latest wave of arrests stemming from a sprawling NYPD corruption scandal that was exposed by The Post. Chambers, a former Brooklyn prosecutor, says on his Web site that he is ”the ONLY lawyer specializing in gun licensing EXCLUSIVELY” and bills himself as the “Top Firearms Licensing Attorney in NY.”
He also boasts of having a client list that includes unspecified celebrities, including a “Movie Star,” “Radio Personality,” “Famous Artist,” “Saturday Night Live Alum” and “NY Times Best Selling Author.”
One of his two Web sites also features a photo of conservative commentator Ann Coulter aiming a pistol with both hands while wearing shooting earmuffs at an indoor firing range.
Coulter told The Post in an e-mail that she never hired Chambers to represent her, but said, “It’s a nice picture!”
A complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday alleges that Chambers gave “numerous valuable items” — including tickets to Broadway shows and sporting events, restaurant meals and an $8,000 Paul Picot watch — to ex-cop David Villanueva between at least 2010 and 2015.
Villanueva — who is cooperating with the feds — ensured that Chambers’ clients got their pistol permits renewed in as little as one day, as opposed to the 30 to 40 days such applications usually require, court papers say.
Villanueva also sped up investigations of incidents that could have jeopardized the permits held by Chambers’ clients, and made sure each one ended in a “beneficial resolution,” according to the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office.
“In total, Villanueva estimates that he provided assistance with at least a dozen renewals of NYPD License Division licenses and 50 to 100 NYPD incident investigations for Chambers,” related to persons with violations that could have cost them their gun permits, court papers say.
Chambers also allegedly exploited Villanueva’s connections to the Nassau County Police Department on behalf of his clients, paying him a total of $1,500 in cash — mailed inside magazines — to expedite the renewal of three permits.
“If we play our cards right, you could potentially be looking at an extra 10K in cash in a 12 month period, give or take . . . just for being my Nassau Co. ‘consultant,’ ” Chambers texted Villanueva on Sept. 4, 2014, court papers say.
Chambers was released on $100,000 bond. Defense lawyer Barry Slotnick said, “I’m confident that his case will either be dismissed or a jury will bring in a not-guilty verdict.”