Dutchess County State Police investigator accused of obstructing justice

DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A New York State Police investigator out of Dutchess County has been accused of giving investigation details to a fentanyl dealer and telling the same person to destroy evidence. Michael O'Flaherty, of Poughkeepsie, was charged with two counts of obstructing an official proceeding and two counts of making false statements.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said there was an investigation into fentanyl distribution following multiple fatal overdoses in Dutchess County in 2022. An unnamed narcotics trafficker and their network of runners were identified as a significant source of fentanyl pills in the county during this investigation.

Investigators found that this trafficker was previously a confidential informant for the State Police and had been supervised by O'Flaherty, who the Attorney's Office said expressed willingness to help with the investigation. It is alleged that without O'Flaherty's supervisor's knowledge, he kept a personal relationship with the trafficker both during and after the trafficker's time as an informant.

Furthermore, O'Flaherty is accused of telling the trafficker about this fentanyl investigation and encouraging this person to destroy evidence of their narcotics trafficking. The Attorney's Office also said that O'Flaherty tried to find sensitive details in the investigation, including the name of a confidential source the investigators had within the trafficker's network.

O'Flaherty then allegedly tried to hide interactions he had with the trafficker from his supervisors and colleagues. When questioned about his interactions with the trafficker, including the alleged giving of information about the investigation, the Attorney's Office said he lied to federal investigators.

O'Flaherty's charges were unsealed in a complaint on Thursday and he was arrested Thursday morning. Obstructing an official proceeding has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and making false statements has a maximum sentence of five years in prison.