Search warrants executed in New Windsor public corruption investigation
Investigators searched New Windsor Town Hall early Wednesday morning and another location, according to an official source.
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The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed to News 12 that it is conducting a public corruption investigation involving the Town of New Windsor IT Department and its former police chief.
Search warrants were executed early Wednesday morning at New Windsor Town Hall and another location as part of the investigation, according to an official source. The investigation is being conducted jointly with the New York State Comptroller’s Office.
According to the official source, former New Windsor Police Chief Robert Doss and the town’s IT director, Patrick Mangan, are among those being investigated.
The official source told News 12 that investigators are examining allegations of bid rigging, official misconduct, falsifying documents, ethics violations and corruption involving government contracting.
According to the official source, investigators are examining whether police-related IT services, including body cameras, records management systems and other police technology, were promoted to multiple municipal police departments as services being provided through the Town of New Windsor when, in reality, the contracts allegedly involved Michael Mangan’s private business.
According to the official source, investigators believe several municipal police departments thought they were contracting directly with the Town of New Windsor rather than with a private business. The official source, however, said investigators believe the municipalities “did not do their due diligence” to confirm who they were actually contracting with.
News 12 is told investigators have identified about a dozen police departments in Orange County, including the Village of Walden Police Department, the Town of Deerpark Police Department, the Town of Warwick Police Department and the Town of Newburgh Police Department, among others. The official source said neither those police departments nor their municipalities are believed to be targets of the investigation at this time.
Investigators are reviewing approximately five years of records and analyzing emails and other electronic data, the source said. The alleged operation is believed to involve hundreds of thousands of dollars.
News 12 has reached out to New Windsor Town Supervisor Stephen Bedetti, former Police Chief Robert Doss, Patrick Mangan and the police departments identified by the official source for comment.
The Town of Newburgh said it has no knowledge of the allegations. Town officials said New Windsor’s IT Department provides services only to the Town of Newburgh Police Department, and that payments are made to the Town of New Windsor.
The Village of Walden’s mayor said he had no comment and was not aware of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office contacting the village regarding the investigation.
The Town of Warwick said it was audited by the comptroller's office in connection with the investigation and provided documentation. Town officials said the Warwick Police Department obtained three quotes in 2020 to purchase body cameras and selected the lowest bidder, Michael Mangan's private business. Officials said Mangan's company did not provide IT services to the town.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no criminal charges have been announced.
