Outraged families of slain NYPD officers fight to keep killers from collecting massive legal payouts
Share and Follow

The bereaved families of two NYPD officers who were brutally murdered are contesting attempts by the killers to receive significant sums in legal settlements.

The relatives of Police Officer Russel Timoshenko, who was shot dead in 2007, and Detective Brian Simonsen, who lost his life in 2019, are pursuing legal action under the state’s “Son of Sam Law.” This law prevents criminals from benefiting financially from their crimes, they disclosed to The Post.

Lee Woods was found guilty of murder for shooting Timoshenko in the head and face during a traffic stop in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. The officer was only 23, making him one of the youngest police officers to die in the line of duty.

Woods is set to get $250,000 after suing individual correction officers and the state in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York over his alleged mistreatment at maximum security Auburn Correctional Facility while serving a life sentence for Timoshenko’s death.

Learning of the settlement enraged the dead police officer’s mom, who left a job in private industry to work in Information Technology at the NYPD to feel closer to her dead son.

“I don’t want him to be rewarded even one penny for killing my son and being in prison for the crime that he committed,” Tatyana Timoshenko, who moved to the United States with her husband and son from the Russian republic of Balarus when he was 9, told The Post. “I had only one child. I used to live for him and he was stolen from me.”

Timoshenko, 59, and her husband Leonid, are suing Woods in Richmond County Surpreme Court to stop the payment.

Russel Timoshenko survived for five days in the hospital after he was shot — and his mother remembers how she screamed when he died.

The mom, who still wears a necklace that holds a tiny silver badge with her son’s name on it, spent months with her school bus driver husband sitting in a chair by their son’s grave at the Moravian Cemetery in Staten Island.

Today, that’s where they can be found on holidays, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

“This is my life,” she said, as tears fell from her eyes. “On the holidays, we visit his grave because he can’t come visit us.”  

Simonsen was killed in a hail of bullets fired by other cops after a robber drew a fake pistol during a T-Mobile store robbery in South Richmond Hill, Queens, in February 2019.

His imprisoned killers, Jagger Freeman and Christopher Ransom, are set to receive $243,900 and $123,600, respectively.

Ransom, who was wielding the prop and wearing a ski mask when he forced employees to open a safe in the back of the store, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and robbery in 2021. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Jagger Freeman, who orchestrated the robbery, was found guilty in 2022 of murder in the second degree, robbery, assault and grand larceny. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

They were among 4,000 pretrial detainees who sued the city as part of a class-action suit, claiming that they were placed in solitary confinement in cells at Rikers Island for up to 23 hours a day.

Simonson’s widow, Leanne, said she was “appalled” to learn of the planned payments.

“I couldn’t believe that they were getting rewarded for being criminals. It’s like the state is taking sides with the criminals and us victims are just hung out to dry,” she said.

Lawyer James Moschella, who represents the Detectives Endowment Association, filed suit for both police officer families.

“These two cases are the perfect examples of the just and appropriate use of the NYC Executive Law, the so-called Son of Sam law,” said Moschella, of Karasyk Moschella in Manhattan. “It will ensure that these defendants, all of whom are responsible for the murder of two brave NYC police detectives will not profit from their incarceration.”

Moschella filed a lawsuit in Suffolk County Supreme Court, where Simonsen’s widow lives, to stop her husband’s killers from getting the money. He filed the suit for the Timoshenko family in Richmond County Supreme Court.

Detectives Endowment President Scott Munro said the payments could erode public safety.

“Pamper cop killers, destroy public safety,” he said. “It’s that simple.”

Lawyers for the inmates in their civil cases didn’t return calls seeking comment.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Chrishell Stause EXITS Selling Sunset after nine seasons

Chrishell Stause Departs ‘Selling Sunset’ After Nine Seasons: A New Chapter Begins

Chrishell Stause has surprised fans by announcing her exit from the popular…
Fox Sports lets go of Mark Sanchez and hires Drew Brees as NFL analyst

Drew Brees Joins Fox Sports: A New Era in NFL Analysis Begins

Fox Sports has made a significant change to its NFL analyst lineup,…
Seattle robber bites off 88-year-old woman's finger during violent robbery, police say

Shocking Seattle Crime: 88-Year-Old Woman Loses Finger in Brutal Robbery Attack

An 88-year-old woman from Seattle is recovering in the hospital after suffering…
Former DACA recipient with violent criminal past flees ICE, tries balcony jump during Chicago arrest

DACA Recipient with Criminal History Makes Daring Escape Attempt During Chicago ICE Arrest

In a significant enforcement action this week, agents from U.S. Immigration and…
Melodee Buzzard's mom switched license plates on trip: Officials

Melodee Buzzard’s Mother Faces Unrelated Legal Issues: Arrest Sparks Public Interest

Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of the missing child Melodee Buzzard, has been…
Illegal immigrants allegedly offered WhatsApp 'menu' of women for sex trafficking ring

Shocking Discovery: WhatsApp Used to Traffic Women in Disturbing Sex Trafficking Scheme

Three individuals believed to be in the United States illegally have been…
Suspected suburb jihadis fueled by social media, assimilation lapses in homegrown terror plot, expert warns

Expert Reveals Social Media Influence and Assimilation Gaps in Suburban Jihadist Terror Threat

Six young men, aged between 19 and 21 and originating from three…
2 accused of abusing non-verbal NC woman leading to her death

Tragic Case: Two Charged in Abuse and Death of Non-Verbal North Carolina Woman

The family of Aaliyah Fortner once believed she was placed in a…