A Mount Vernon police officer is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he attempted to deposit a stolen check worth more than $800,000.
Brandon Hunter-Carney, who joined the Mount Vernon Police Department in December 2023, was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree.
According to prosecutors, Hunter-Carney allegedly stole a check made out to an Alabama-based company, Electric Controls and Systems, Inc. Investigators say he then created a New York business with the same name, listing himself as the sole officer, and attempted to deposit the check.
“The defendant was not a victim of identity theft, but in fact a participant,” Assistant District Attorney John Waszak said in court.
Prosecutors requested time to present the case to a grand jury.
Residents say the arrest adds to growing concerns, coming just weeks after another Mount Vernon officer was charged in a separate case.
Police officials note that in both cases, the alleged crimes occurred before the officers joined the department.
Hunter-Carney was released on his own recognizance and is currently suspended without pay.
