New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda is under investigation for allegations that he solicited donations for the law enforcement agency he heads in exchange for turning a blind eye to law enforcement problems, sources told The Washington Post.
The bureau is working on the investigation after the complaint against Miranda was recently filed, two sources said, as Mayor Eric Adams' administration is embroiled in a series of separate federal investigations.
City investigators are looking into whether Miranda solicited donations for the National Latino Police Officers Association by offering to ignore certain law enforcement issues, according to sources.
Miranda is the association's president, according to its website.
“NLOA represents both uniformed and civilian law enforcement officers employed by law enforcement agencies at the city, state and federal levels, as well as non-law enforcement personnel employed in the private and public sectors,” the association's website states.
Messages sent to the association's general email and Miranda's registered email were not immediately returned.
City Hall and the DOI also did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The DOI is also investigating whether the sheriff's office improperly seized cash from unlicensed marijuana shops during raids in recent months. The Daily News reported.Cite your sources.
Miranda said at a City Council hearing last week that he doesn't believe deputies seized any cash during the search.
He argued that the process of issuing certification for seized property was outsourced to the New York City Police Department.
“They will bond the property depending on the circumstances of the location,” Miranda said last Tuesday during a mayoral hearing on marijuana enforcement. “They will either bond it for storage or bond it as investigative evidence, depending on the different circumstances.”
But union officials who have been at odds with Miranda said the sheriff's statements about the voucher issuing process were “not true” and that deputies are still required to issue vouchers for cash and merchandise, the Daily News reported.
POLITICO First reported India's Ministry of Technology said on Friday it had launched an investigation into Miranda and the ministry but did not disclose specific allegations.
The DOI is the city's independent watchdog responsible for rooting out corruption in Gotham.
Adams selected Miranda to become sheriff's chief in May 2022.
The first-term mayor and his top aides have faced a series of federal investigations over the past year, including into his campaign's ties to Turkey.
In a separate investigation, the federal government also targeted senior City Hall and NYPD officials, searching their homes.
