NYS Police Officer Charged With Obstructing Justice, Lying To Feds

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A state police investigator got too close to the members of the organized drug trade he was tasked with bringing down and instead became part of the problem, according to federal prosecutors.

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Steven G. James, the Superintendent of the New York State Police, announced the unsealing of a complaint charging Michael O'Flaherty with obstructing an official proceeding and making false statements to federal investigators. He was arrested Thursday morning and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.

"As alleged, Michael O’Flaherty, a New York State Police narcotics investigator, exploited his position of public trust in an effort to help his former confidential informant — who was responsible for distributing tens of thousands of potentially deadly fentanyl pills — evade law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. "O’Flaherty allegedly abused his position as a sworn member of law enforcement by tipping off the fentanyl pill dealer about a covert narcotics investigation and encouraging the dealer to destroy evidence. The defendant’s alleged conduct betrayed the oath he swore to protect New Yorkers and jeopardized the safety of fellow law enforcement officers. Today’s charges make clear that this Office will remain vigilant in rooting out and prosecuting all forms of police corruption."

According to court documents, in 2022, a state law enforcement agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted an investigation of fentanyl pill distribution linked to multiple overdose deaths in Dutchess County.

The investigation identified a particular narcotics trafficker and that trafficker's network of runners as a prolific source of fentanyl pills in the county. The investigation also found that the trafficker had previously been a confidential informant for the New York State Police and had been supervised by O'Flaherty, a NYSP officer.

During conversations with members of the investigation, O'Flaherty seemed willing to assist the investigation. However, unbeknownst to the investigators and O'Flaherty’s supervisors, he had maintained a personal relationship with the trafficker both during and after the trafficker’s time as an informant.

O'Flaherty pretended to assist the investigation, but instead quickly told the trafficker about the investigation and encouraged the trafficker to destroy evidence of narcotics trafficking.

O'Flaherty also tried to dig for sensitive details about the investigation, including the identity of the investigation’s confidential source within the trafficker's network.

At the same time, O'Flaherty tried to prevent the investigation from finding out the nature and extent of his interactions with the trafficker, including telephone calls, text messages, and one-on-one meetings that O'Flaherty had hidden from his NYSP supervisors and colleagues. When investigators eventually questioned O'Flaherty about the nature of his interactions with the trafficker, including O'Flaherty’s disclosure of the investigation, he lied to federal investigators.

42-year-old O'Flaherty, of Poughkeepsie, was charged with two counts of obstructing an official proceeding, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of false statements, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Williams praised the work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the valuable assistance of the New York State Police's Professional Standards Bureau.

"Law enforcement officers hold a profound responsibility to serve and protect our communities, which requires the highest standards of accountability and integrity," New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said. "Trust is the cornerstone of public safety, and maintaining that trust demands transparency, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to ethical conduct. The State Police will continue to work cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District regarding this criminal case, and I appreciate Governor Hochul’s ongoing support of our longstanding culture of accountable policing."

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Qais Ghafary and Jeffrey C. Coffman are in charge of the prosecution.