Officials told The Post that the Department of Investigation on Thursday raided the Queens Sheriff's Office as part of an investigation into Sheriff Anthony Miranda and his office's handling of illegal potshot cash seizures. I searched the house.
Days after the investigation was tipped off, the DOI seized body camera footage during a search of the sheriff's office's Long Island City headquarters, officials said.
The investigation into the sheriff's office focuses on allegations that Miranda offered to turn a blind eye to certain enforcement issues and solicited donations to the National Association of Latino Officers, of which he is president. sources previously told the Post.
The DOI is also investigating whether the sheriff's office, under Miranda's direction, improperly seized cash from unlicensed pot shops during crackdowns on illegal businesses in recent months.
Sources said Miranda has been in a “panic” state since telling city council members at a hearing last week that she did not believe sheriff's deputies had seized the cash during the raid.
He argued that the New York Police Department is responsible for issuing documentation of seized property.
“They're the ones who issue vouchers for real estate depending on the location,” Miranda reportedly said during a public hearing last Tuesday on the mayor's enforcement of marijuana laws. “They will either certify it as storage or certify it as investigative evidence, depending on the various circumstances.”
But union leaders with whom Miranda has a feud say the sheriff's statements about the voucher issuing process are “untrue” and that deputy sheriffs are still being asked for vouchers for cash and merchandise. The news paper reported.
DOI declined to comment on the investigation.
The newspaper also contacted the sheriff's office.
