A gangster convicted for the 1980s murder of an NYPD parole officer, and connected to the death of a rookie officer, is asking for compassionate release from jail because the prison won’t accommodate his vegan diet and it’s causing him stress.
Lorenzo ‘Fat Cat’ Nichols, 63, is serving concurrent 25-years and 40-years to life sentences, but has asked a judge to release him on account of migraines he endures and the ‘stress’ of the prison lifestyle, according to NY Daily News.
‘Although I try to stay strong, the stress is weighting me down, and has raised my blood pressure,’ the drug lord said in a letter to Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Edward Korman.
Nichols reportedly sent the plea to the judge in mid-August and is currently awaiting a response.
Lorenzo ‘Fat Cat’ Nichols is responsible for multiple deaths, including that of NYPD parole Officer Brian Rooney, as well as involvement in the death of rookie cop Eddie Byrne
In the letter, Nichols also discusses the ‘mistakes’ he has made in life, as well as his health problems and the family events and deaths that he missed while in prison.
While he talks about the ‘mistakes’ he’s made, he doesn’t mention his victims, including the NYPD officers and his ex-girlfriend, according to the NY Daily news.
In addition to his 25-years to life sentence, the convicted murderer is also serving a concurrent 40-years to life sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn.
Earlier this year, the criminal was granted state parole and transferred to federal custody.
MDC Brooklyn, the jail where Lorenzo ‘Fat Cat’ Nichols is currently serving out his sentence
‘This murderous drug-lord and cop-killer must not move even an inch closer to freedom. Our hero brother Police Officer Edward Byrne sacrificed his life to rid our city of Nichols and his gang,’ said Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch at the time.
Nichols ordered the murder of NYPD Parole Officer Brian Rooney after the officer cited him for a parole violation stemming from a previous drug charges.
Rooney was sitting in his car on 119th Avenue in October 1985 when another car pulled up next to his, and a suspect inside the car opened fire. The NYPD cop was struck in the head, back, and left arm.
Officer Rooney was a four year veteran of the force and left behind a wife and son.
NYPD parole Officer Brian Rooney, shot and killed while in October 1985
Nichols later pleaded guilty to ordering the murder of Rooney.
Although not charged, ‘Fat Cat’ is also widely believed to have been involved in the shooting death of rookie NYPD Office Edward Byrne, carried out by members of Nichols’ drug ring.
Byrne had been on the force just seven months when he was brutally murdered in South Jamaica. He was 22.
The NYPD rookie had been protecting a witness in a drug case when a suspect walked up to his marked vehicle and shot him five times in the head.
Rookie NYPD Officer Eddie Byrne, brutally killed in the line of duty in 1988
If released, the drug lord also faces a 10-year prison sentence still to be served in Florida.
The Associated Press reported in 2006 that Nichols was part of a grand theft auto scheme in which he helped to sell more than $8 million in vehicles for more than five years.
Officials said at the time that ‘Fat Cat,’ while behind bars from 1999 to 2005, aided in the moving of about 250 vehicles from Florida to buyers in 14 other states.
Nichols has already spent 34 years in prison for his crimes.
Lorenzo ‘Fat Cat’ Nichols smiles in a photo prior to his arrest and sentencing for murder
According to the NY Daily News, the drug lord complained to Judge Korman that his previous time served in state prison did not count towards his current sentence with federal law enforcement.
Korman suggested that the Nichols apply for compassionate release, however, it’s unclear if his request will be granted.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk