Report: Criminal cases had to be reviewed after misconduct at NY state police forensics lab

NY cases saw review over police lab misconduct

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York officials say prosecutors across the state had to review closed criminal cases because a now-dead forensic scientist routinely failed to perform mandatory tests and then fraudulently wrote up results.

New York state Inspector General Joseph Fisch says in a report released Thursday that the misconduct by Garry Veeder went undetected for years because of “shoddy” supervision. Veeder worked at the Forensic Investigation Center.

The office says 44 district attorneys reviewed 322 criminal cases that included findings by Veeder, and none had to be reopened.

Veeder committed suicide in May 2008 during the inquiry.

State police say the violations are alarming and the agency will hire an outside expert to audit the lab.

(This version CORRECTS that district attorneys already reviewed the closed criminal cases.)