Suffolk County, NY - September 13, 2016 - The former Commissioner of Public Safety for the Town of Islip and an Assistant Chief Fire Marshal pleaded not guilty today to bribe receiving, official misconduct and coercion charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. 

In March of this year, John Carney of West Islip, serving as Commissioner of Public Safety in the Town of Islip, and Michael Allen of Holbrook, serving as Assistant Chief Fire Marshal, conducted job interviews for the position of Fire Marshal, working from a civil service list of candidates established by the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service. 

“It is alleged in the indictment that during the interviews for the Fire Marshal openings, the four applicants were coerced by Mr. Carney and Mr. Allen into declining the position and signing declination letters,” said DA Spota.  “That way, the defendants could attempt to reach their preferred candidates who finished lower on the civil service list after an exam.” 

Before State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho, Carney, 54, and Allen, 41, pleaded not guilty at their arraignment to four counts of Bribe Receiving in the third degree, four counts of Official Misconduct and 8 counts of Coercion in the second degree.  The Bribe Receiving charges are felonies punishable by a prison term of two and one-third to seven years.

Published reports last week said that Mr. Carney retired from the town last week for health reasons.