A longtime Philly FOP official was fired. Here’s what you need to know.

In mid-July, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 announced in a short email to its members that the union had “removed” one of its top leaders: Terry Reid, who served as a union trustee, and its disability coordinator.

The Inquirer learned there was a surprising backstory to Reid’s sudden firing: The family of Raymond Diaz, a Philadelphia police officer who died at 47 in 2016, had filed a complaint against Reid with police Internal Affairs.

Reid did not respond to messages left by reporters.

Marissa Zito claimed that her mother, Meagan Diaz — Raymond’s widow — had loaned Reid more than $20,000 last fall. Diaz repeatedly texted Reid, begging to be repaid, but Reid — whose total FOP compensation was $189,000 — often ignored Diaz’s pleas, or offered excuses as to why she couldn’t repay the money, according to copies of text messages that the Diaz family shared with The Inquirer.

» READ MORE: Family claims a top FOP official tried to scam a police officer’s widow out of $20,000

Reid’s position with the union required her to meet with families of police officers who died in the line of duty. Raymond Diaz suffered career-ending injuries in an on-duty car crash in 2014. Following surgery in 2016, he was prescribed pain killers, and died of an accidental prescription overdose. Reid comforted Diaz’s widow, and routinely brought the family food, Zito said. Reid also testified on Meagan Diaz’s behalf when she sought a $100,000 state benefit for fallen police officers. A judge ruled that Diaz was entitled to the benefit in August 2022.

Diaz felt indebted to Reid, according to her family, and agreed to loan Reid thousands of dollars on multiple occasions. But by late December, Diaz was struggling to pay her own bills, and was trying to stage a baby shower for her son, who was expecting his first child.

“Terry, what is going on?” Diaz texted Reid on one occasion. “I need my money and I shouldn’t have to beg you and be sick over it.”

Diaz, who had diabetes and several other illnesses, died on Feb. 26. The following day, Reid visited Diaz’s family. Four people — Diaz’s mother, one of her daughters, and two family friends — say they saw Reid pick up Diaz’s phone, and delete the text message history between the two women. Reid allegedly told Diaz’s mother and daughter that she would repay the borrowed money, but insisted that the women could not tell anyone about the matter — especially FOP President John McNesby.

Diaz’s family managed to restore the deleted text messages, which dated back to October. The messages showed the cash amounts Diaz had given Reid, and Diaz’s growing desperation over not being repaid. In March, Marissa Zito filed a complaint with Internal Affairs, accusing Reid of having taken financial advantage of her mother.

McNesby told The Inquirer he was left “speechless” by an email that Zito sent him, outlining her allegations against Reid. “I pride myself on how we take care of these families,” he said. “If someone does something like this, it upsets me. That’s why we did what we did.”

The union examined records for a fund that it maintains for families of fallen police officers to ensure that no money meant for the Diaz family had been misappropriated, McNesby said. He said the union is not aware of other families of fallen police officers having made similar claims about Reid.

Zito’s complaint has been referred to the Special Investigations Unit of the District Attorney’s Office for criminal investigation, according to a law enforcement source. On July 11, Reid retired from the police department. Two days later, she repaid Marissa Zito the last of the money that she owed.