Former Islip Town Employee Convicted On Coercion Charges: Report

Former Town of Islip commissioner of public safety John Carney was convicted on three charges related to attempting to coerce four fire marshal applicants to decline the position, according to a report in Newsday.

Last September, West Islip resident John Carney, 54, who served as commissioner of public safety, along with Holbrook resident Michael Allen, 41, who served as assistant chief fire marshal, were both accused of bribe receiving, official misconduct and coercion, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney.

In March, the two conducted job interviews for the position of fire marshal and they had to chose from a civil service list of candidates established by the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service, the DA said.

While conducting interviews for the job opening, four applicants were allegedly coerced by Carney and Allen into declining the position and signing declination letters in order to try to get their preferred candidates who finished lower on the civil service list after an exam, the DA said.

The two were arrested in September. Carney retired from the town shortly after due to reported health reasons.

Carney plead not guilty to four counts of third degree bribe receiving, four counts of official misconduct and eight counts of second degree coercion, the DA said.

He was previously acquitted of the the bribe receiving charges as well as the four official misconduct and three of the coercion charges, Newsday reports.

However, on Wednesday a jury convicted Carney of three coercion charges.

Allen is due back in court on May 18.

Photo: SCDA