DA shares when newly-promoted Mount Vernon detective allegedly conspired with gang
Prosecutors allege Kyren Braunskill conspired to share illegal weapons with members of that gang, among other charges.
More Stories
New information has come out about a newly promoted Mount Vernon detective who is facing charges in Suffolk County.
Kyren Braunskill was arrested by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office on Thursday. The 34-year-old's name is listed in a 57-count indictment against 18 people connected to a Riverhead, Long Island gang called the 48 Gang.
Prosecutors allege Braunskill conspired to share illegal weapons with members of that gang, among other charges.
However, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney revealed that the alleged conduct occurred before was employed by Mount Vernon police.
"The allegation, with regard to him, goes up through December 2022. He became a police officer on Dec. 28, in 2022. So, all of the alleged conduct precedes his appointment as an officer," Tierney says.
Tierney says he believes Braunskill was working as a 911 operator for the NYPD at the time of the alleged crimes.
The district attorney also describes where prosecutors believe the weapons came from.
"It's alleged that he got the guns from a connect down in, I believe it was one of the Carolinas," Tierney says.
During a phone call, Braunskill's attorney confirmed he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released with supervision.
News 12 has also learned that Braunskill's name appears on a New York State Police Peace Officer training decertification list. The list, provided by the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services, shows he was removed for cause during a probationary period with the state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in 2020.
Officials from the division say Braunskill's name appeared on the list before he was hired with Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon officials didn't respond to our request for comment about his hiring on Friday.
They released a statement on Thursday saying, "A pre-employment background investigation was conducted in accordance with department procedures, and no findings were returned. Based on the information available at that time, the decision was made to proceed with his employment."
Braunskill faces up to four years in prison.
