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Officer Michael Daragjati, an eight-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to threatening one man in a dispute over a snow blower and falsely arresting another who complained about being stopped and frisked.

The officer's own defense team said there's no excuse.

"He’s really a good man who did some bad things, stupid things, trying to get a snow blower back and arresting an individual and retaining him a night in jail. There was no reason to do that," said defense attorney Ronald Fischetti.

Prosecutors say after arresting the man, who was black, Daragjati was caught on a wiretap saying he "fried" him and using a racial slur.

The officer's family said he only used a word a lot of people use.

"Jay-Z has a song, it’s number 7 on the billboard charts. It’s a term of slang, it’s acceptable nowadays. Unfortunately he’s a cop that is on the streets all day, it’s just a word of slang that he is very, very remorseful for saying,” said Jack Daragjati, the officer’s brother.

"It’s a one-year count. It’s a misdemeanor. He is not a racist,” said Fischetti.

But the threat over the snow blower is extortion, and that's a felony.

Federal Judge William Kuntz told the officer these were serious charges.

The judge then told Daragjati to state what he did. Talking about the incident where he threatened a man he thought had stolen the equipment from him, Daragjati said he, along with a group of men, confronted the man.

He went on to say, "The individual was struck in the head, causing him physical injury.”

Officer Daragjati has to return to federal court to be sentenced. He faces from probation to 21 years behind bars for his illegal actions, and he remains in jail until the judge makes that decision.