Ray Kelly, Police Commissioner, Signs Off on Penalty for Deputy Chief in Steroid Case

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly signed off on taking 30 vacation days from a high-ranking police official -- and main character in the Adrian Schoolcraft saga -- who was found guilty last fall of steroid and/or human growth hormone possession.

Deputy Chief Michael Marino, was also placed on job probation for a year, police sources say.

The case began during an investigation into steroid trafficking at a Brooklyn pharmacy, which embroiled as many as two dozen other police officers. Marino was found not guilty of patronizing the pharmacy in question.

Marino, a man known for his aggressive command style, was also the chief who ordered Police Officer Adrian Schoolcraft to be forcibly taken to the Jamaica Hospital psychiatric facility on October 31, 2009, three weeks after Schoolcraft had reported misconduct in Brooklyn's 81st Precinct to department investigators. The Schoolcraft story was the subject of a five-part Voice series published last year. The Voice article that focused on Marino and Schoolcraft can be found here.

In addition to the loss of 30 vacation days, Marino was placed on dismissal probation for one year, which means he could be forced to retire if he gets in trouble again over the next 12 months.

Marino had been the second-in-command in Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, who oversees 10 precincts. In the wake of the steroid charges and the Schoolcraft incident, Kelly transferred him to Staten Island.

He was initially charged in December 2008. He was found guilty last September, and the judge issued a recommended penalty for Kelly's review.