Criminal Investigation Unit

Unit Responsibilities

• Unit investigates all serious crimes and matters of special concern
• Handles all felony crimes, death investigations, domestic incidents that involve felonies, missing person reports, internal investigations
• Prepares and executes search warrants
• Investigators work closely with many local, state and federal agencies
• Collects and preserves evidence and personal property from crime scenes
• Protects and secures area of a crime scene
• Records location of physical evidence and fingerprints at scene
• Labels evidence

2013 Controlled Substance Arrests

Sheriff Jack Mahar of the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office reports on the arrests of two individuals for over a million dollars worth of steroid and other controlled pharmaceuticals. After a 6 month investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, DEA Albany, Homeland Security Investigation's, Rensselaer Police Department and Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office, Zachery Wilkins, age 33 and Holly Fiato, age 28, of 111 Washington Avenue, from the City of Rensselaer were arrested and charged.

Wilkins and Fiato were charged with Criminal Possession of a controlled substance 5th degree on March 1st 2013 after a search warrant was executed at their 111 Washington Avenue Address.

At this residence members of the law enforcement team seized a substantial amount of steroids and other controlled pharmaceuticals, 2 shotguns, and packaging material. It is estimated that over $1.8 million worth of steroid and controlled pharmaceuticals were seized from the residence.

There were 44,825 liquid doses of steroids and 289,550 pharmaceutical pills.