‘Common’ to speed gun permits for top Finest

A crooked former cop said Friday that he routinely fielded requests from highranking NYPD officers seeking to speed up friends’ applications for hard-to-get gun permits.

Richard Ochetal, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes between 2013 and 2016 while working in the NYPD’s gun license division, said he never asked questions about the reasons why a member of police brass was putting in a request. “I just know this is a high-ranking official. I’m going to take care of him and his friend,” Ochetal said in Manhattan Federal Court.

“It was common practice that higher-ranking members came down (to the license division),” he added.

Ochetal took the stand in the bribery trial of Brooklyn police buff Jeremy Reichberg and Deputy Inspector James (Jimmy) Grant. The trial, which concluded its second week, has featured allegations of impropriety by top cops.

On Thursday, a defense attorney alleged that James O’Neill, before becoming NYPD commissioner, had intervened in the gun application of a Playboy playmate who later committed suicide.

Prosecutors say Reichberg gave Grant gifts — including a private flight with a prostitute . Grant allegedly did official favors for Reichberg in return, including helping him with a “full carry” gun license, which is the least-restricted permit for a concealed firearm.