Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas never said why he abruptly terminated the city's top cop, but there seems to be some discrepancy if he went too far when he suggested that there may be some criminal investigation involved.

Thomas fired Public Safety Commissioner Bob Kelly after just 90 days on the job.

"Things often start out with the most sincere of intentions, but it didn't work out," Thomas said shortly after the firing.

One day later on WVOX radio, however, he said that Kelly was terminated with cause.

The bombshell allegation came after News 12 obtained confidential emails about a secret plot by the mayor's top aides to rehire Henry George Thomas, the mayor's brother who is about to be sentenced for gun running. The mayor has vehemently denied the claim.

"Bottom line, you have a disgruntled employee leaking confidential information," said Thomas.

When News 12 did some digging to see if there was any merit to the accusation that Kelly was being investigated by the DA's office, their answer unequivocally no.

They released a statement saying, "The DA's Office plays no role in the personnel decision with regards to any city, town or village in this county and played no role in the decision made by Mount Vernon City Hall with regards to the Public Safety Commissioner."

On Thursday, Thomas told News 12 that his comments were intentionally cryptic, and his decision to fire Kelly was not based solely on his conversation with the DA's office.