U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested

P, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
·2 min read

CHAMPLAIN — Several members and former members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service were arrested by State Police following an investigation of an alleged grand larceny scheme.

According to State Police, three U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and four former officers were charged.

The individuals were executive board members of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 138 of Champlain.

ARRESTS AND CHARGES

Charged were Thomas O’Keefe for third-degree grand larceny, a felony; Joseph McVey for fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony; Jamie Goheens for third-degree grand larceny, a felony; Roy Arndt for fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony; Michael Lacey for fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony; Craig Mothersell for third-degree grand larceny, a felony and David Murtagh for petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

Police said that while executive board members of the National Treasury Employees Union, these individuals misappropriated funds from both federal government accounts and union funds by double billing both organizations for official travel and taking cash advances for their own personal benefit.

FUTURE TRIAL DATES

The six that are facing felony charges were arraigned in Plattsburgh City Court, and their cases transferred to Champlain Justice Court, Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said. They were then released and scheduled to appear in court again at a later date.

Murtagh, who is facing a misdemeanor, was given an appearance ticket to appear later this month, Wylie said.

The case is being prosecuted by Wylie’s office and assigned to Assistant District Attorney Jaime Douthat.

Wylie said the U.S. Attorney’s Office had declined to prosecute the case.

This investigation was a joint effort between the New York State Police, Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of New York, and the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office.

Mike Niezgoda, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirms three current employees of CBP were arrested by the New York State Police.

Further inquiries on the case were directed to State Police.

Niezgoda did say that while federal privacy laws prohibit discussing individual cases, CBP takes all allegations of employee misconduct on or off-duty seriously, and CBP strives to be as transparent as possible regarding the release of investigative information to the public through its annual Report on Internal Investigations and Employee Accountability.

He added that as a matter of policy, CBP does not comment on former CBP employees.