Sergeant, deputy face 243 counts for allegedly submitting false time sheets, collecting pay when not working off-duty job
ALBION – A grand jury on Monday handed up a 243-count indictment against two Orleans County deputies, who are accused of submitting false time sheets and log books, and collecting pay for security work they didn’t perform.
Dean Covis
Sgt. Dean Covis allegedly was paid about $14,000 and Deputy Thomas Marano was paid about $4,000 for security work when they were working shifts for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.
The two were paid $20 an hour to provide security at the hydroelectric plant in Waterport. The facility is owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners.
Tom Marano
The State Police handled the investigation and charged Marano and Covis on May 17 with first-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records.
The alleged crimes occurred in late 2013 through early 2015, said Lawrence Friedman, Genesee County district attorney and special prosecutor in the case.
Niagara County Court Judge Sara Sheldon is serving as judge after Orleans County Court Judge James Punch recused himself.
Covis and Marano have yet to be arraigned in County Court.
The indictment lists 140 counts of first-degree falsifying business records and one count of third-degree grand larceny against Covis. Marano faces 101 counts of falsifying business records and one count of third-degree grand larceny.
Covis and Marano were on paid leave, but were notified by the county on July 13 that they would be on unpaid leave but could be paid for unused vacation time.
The Sheriff’s Office is conducting its own internal investigation in the matter.
(This article was updated from an earlier version after Friedman provided more details in the case.)
