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High-ranking NYSP officer suspended without pay amid FBI probe

This is a head shot of Lt. Col. Jared Duffy in uniform.
Courtesy of the New York State Police
Lt. Col. Jared Duffy has been suspended without pay, the New York State Police announced Sunday.

The chief of staff for New York State Police Superintendent Steven James is being suspended without pay, state police announced Sunday.

The suspension of Lt. Col. Jared Duffy comes after police searched his home in Colonie, a suburb of Albany, on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation.

A state police spokesperson says the agency has asked the FBI's Albany Field Office to take over the case.

"The New York State Police contacted FBI Albany last week to request we adopt this investigation," an FBI spokesperson said in a statement. "As this is an ongoing investigation, we will not be commenting further."

Citing multiple police sources, the Albany Times Union previously reported that the investigation centered on sexually explicit images of children.
Duffy was also reportedly taken into custody and interviewed by state police.

Duffy joined the New York State Police in 2002 and has been James' chief of staff since October 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile.

No charges have been filed against Duffy as of Sunday afternoon.

Grant Ashley is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. He grew up in Rochester before graduating from the University at Buffalo in 2024 with a degree in political science and Spanish. Before coming to WAMC, Ashley worked as a part-time host and reporter for NPR member station BTPM and as an English teacher in Spain.