Federal Jury Finds Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Edward Walsh Guilty In Scheme To Defraud The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office

Walsh Falsely Represented that He Worked Regular and Overtime Hours for
the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office When He Was Playing Golf, Visiting Casinos, or
Performing Work on Behalf of the Suffolk County Conservative Party

Late this afternoon, following three weeks of trial, a federal jury in Central Islip, returned a guilty verdict against Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Edward M. Walsh, Jr., on charges that he engaged in a scheme to steal wages for regular and overtime hours in connection with his employment with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).  The jury convicted the defendant of both counts of an indictment charging him with theft of government funds and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §§ 666 and 1343, respectively.   

The verdict was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).

At trial, the government successfully proved that from January 2011 to April 2014, Walsh, a SCSO Correction Officer III Investigator, falsely represented to the SCSO that he had worked certain regular and overtime hours when, in fact, he did not work those hours.  Contrary to his representations, the government successfully established that Walsh was, among other things, playing golf, gambling at Foxwoods Casino, or performing work on behalf of the Suffolk County Conservative Party.  In reliance on Walsh’s false representations, the SCSO paid Walsh wages for hours he did not work.  At trial, investigators estimated that Walsh was paid more than $200,000 for regular and overtime hours he did not work. 

“Today’s verdict once again establishes that no one person is above the law.  Edward Walsh abused his position and authority as a political boss to steal from taxpayers in order to fund his personal and political activities.  Now he will be held accountable for his actions,” stated United States Attorney Capers.  “We and our partners in the FBI will continue to root out government corruption and fraud wherever we find it.” 

Assistant Director-in-Charge Rodriguez stated, “Defrauding the government never pays as Mr. Walsh found out today with the guilty verdict.  Mr. Walsh cheated Suffolk County and ultimately the tax payers for hours never worked.  The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud to the government in any form.”

Upon sentencing the defendant Walsh faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years at the time of sentence.

The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile and Raymond A. Tierney

The Defendant:

Edward M. Walsh, JR.
Age:  50
East Islip, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-091(ADS)