Matthew Lambert #
Introduction #
Matthew Lambert, 33, is a former New York Police Department officer who pleaded guilty to three counts of official misconduct and was sentenced to two years’ probation for what the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office described as a "sleazy stalking campaign" against crime victims and a suspect. The former cop admitted having sex with a woman he had arrested hours earlier and sexually harassing two crime victims on his cases. He resigned from the force in December after the allegations surfaced.
Background Information #
Lambert joined the NYPD in 2014. The misconduct dated to spring 2024, when he was working on criminal cases as an officer. His inappropriate texting and conduct toward people involved in his cases began in March 2024, and he was eventually charged by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office after the allegations surfaced that December.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #
Adjudicated vs. alleged. Matthew Lambert’s guilty pleas to three counts of official misconduct are a matter of court record, as is his sentencing to probation. The detailed descriptions of his conduct toward victims and a suspect — the specific text messages and the sexual encounter — come from the prosecution’s account and a criminal complaint, and while Lambert admitted the misconduct underlying his pleas, some specifics were presented by prosecutors rather than established through contested trial testimony.
In the spring of 2024, Lambert began inappropriately texting the victims of crimes he was investigating. On 19 March 2024 he texted a theft victim: "Celebration drinks when this is over?… If you say now, I’m still gonna work hard on your case, I promise." He admitted to the woman that he was "taken" but still interested in her. The woman was forced to block him after he kept reaching out for two months, prosecutors said.
Lambert also harassed an assault victim on one of his cases, texting her from 28 March through 14 May 2024. "You’re absolutely beautiful," he told her. "I was shocked when I met you. I mean, no disrespect to you and your relationship. I’m saying this in a respectful way, if that’s even possible."
Then, on 20 May 2024, Lambert arrested another woman on a petty larceny charge and told her he could "probably" release her on a desk appearance ticket, which would spare her being locked up before seeing a judge. He texted her explicit pictures of his private parts, and shortly after midnight the next day — less than four hours after the arrest — he showed up at her home and the two had sex inside the officer’s car.
Public Reaction and Consequences #
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said of the case: "This defendant’s disturbing conduct is unacceptable for a member of law enforcement. In addition to sending extremely inappropriate text messages to victims while he was investigating their cases, he abused his power to engage in a sexual encounter with a woman he had arrested just hours earlier." Lambert resigned from the NYPD in December 2025 once the allegations surfaced, and was later sentenced to two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and counseling after pleading guilty to three counts of official misconduct and unlawful gratuities.
Current Status #
As of June 2026, Lambert had pleaded guilty and been sentenced to two years’ probation, with community service and counseling requirements. His resignation from the NYPD in December 2025 stood, and the guilty pleas precluded him from serving again as a New York police officer.
Impact on Their Career/Life #
Lambert’s 11-year NYPD career ended in a guilty plea to official misconduct, a permanent criminal record that barred him from returning to law enforcement in New York. The case underscored the consequences for officers who exploit their authority to pursue the people they are sworn to protect, and Bragg’s public denunciation of the conduct as "unacceptable for a member of law enforcement" reflected the broader reputational damage the episode did to the department’s image during his tenure.