The city’s sheriff’s office in Queens was searched Thursday by the Department of Investigation as part of a probe into Sheriff Anthony Miranda and his office’s handling of cash seizures from illegal pot shots, sources told The Post.
The DOI seized body camera footage during its search of the sheriff’s office’s Long Island City headquarters just days after news of the investigation broke, according to the sources.
The probe into the sheriff’s office centers on allegations Miranda sought donations to the National Latino Officers Association, of which he is the chairman, by offering to turn a blind eye to certain enforcement issues, sources previously told The Post.
The DOI is also looking into whether the sheriff’s office, under Miranda’s leadership, improperly seized cash from unlicensed pot shops during crackdowns on the illegal businesses in recent months.
Sources said Miranda has been in “panic mode” since he told city council members at a hearing last week he did not believe sheriff’s deputies had seized any cash during the raids.
He claimed the vouchering process for property seized has been designated with the NYPD.
“They are the ones who voucher the property depending on the circumstances of the location,” Miranda reportedly said during last Tuesday’s hearing on the mayor’s enforcement of cannabis laws. “They will either voucher it as safekeeping or they will voucher it as investigatory evidence depending on the different circumstances.”
But union officials, who have feuded with Miranda, said the sheriff’s statements about the vouchering process “weren’t true” and deputy sheriffs have still been asked to voucher cash and products, the Daily News reported.
The DOI declined to comment on the investigation.
The Post has also reached out to the sheriff’s office.