State Police arrest man they say sneaked into facilities, stole uniform and unmarked car
By BRENDAN LYONS, Staff writer
First published: Thursday, November 24, 2005
ALBANY -- A civilian clerk for the Albany Police Department was arrested late Wednesday for stealing a trooper's uniform and an unmarked car from State Police headquarters, authorities said.
The thefts, which came after at least two State Police facilities were allegedly penetrated by the suspect, triggered an intensive internal investigation as top officials sought to shore up the security holes that were exposed.
Ryan M. Donnelly, 23, of Albany, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon when he tried to get a trooper's Stetson hat from a supply quartermaster at State Police Troop G headquarters in Loudonville, where he had gained access by wearing a stolen uniform, State Police said.
He was later fired from his job, said Detective James Miller, an Albany Police Department spokesman.
Col. Joseph Loszysnki, deputy superintendent of Internal Affairs for State Police, said his agency launched "parallel" criminal and internal investigations to determine how the young man allegedly penetrated two separate State Police buildings, where he signed out uniform equipment and an unmarked car.
"Obviously, there'll be criminal charges filed before the end of the night tonight," Loszynski said late Wednesday. "We're doing interviews with our people who have had encounters with this guy. Basically, I don't think I could comfortably say there's a motive, but we are looking at that."
Donnelly was expected to be charged with burglary, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal impersonation, all felonies, authorities said.
Investigators believe he gained access to the State Police Academy early Wednesday morning by slipping through a loading dock entrance where a cook held a locked door open for him. He was wearing clothing from a trooper's organization that can be purchased by the public and is commonly worn by off-duty troopers.
He entered the academy in an area near where laundered uniforms are kept. He put on a trooper's shirt and a pair of pants and went to a nearby quartermaster's office, where equipment is issued, and signed out a tie, a tie clasp and a uniform Goretex jacket, Loszynski said.
"He identified himself as Trooper Kelly from SP Loudonville," Loszynski said. "Then what he does, under false pretenses, he takes the uniform that he has acquired this morning and he dresses up like a New York state trooper. He is again able ... he breaches security ... and acquires an (unmarked) transporter car."
From there, Loszynski said, Donnelly went to Troop G headquarters a few miles away in Loudonville, where he again was able to gain access to a secure area. But as he tried to sign out a trooper's Stetson hat from a quartermaster, the ruse unraveled.
"Fortunately for us, one of our more experienced sergeants sees him and doesn't recognize him and he confronts him and says: 'Who are you?' " Loszynski said. "He admits that he has impersonated a trooper, and the sergeant takes him into custody." Donnelly allegedly tried to obtain a marked trooper's car, which they refer to as a "blue and gold," but was unsuccessful.
"I can definitely say that he never had another State Police vehicle (before Wednesday)," Loszynski said. "I think it's important that the public know that at no time was the security breach concerning the storage of weapons, firearms or blue and golds."
Donnelly, who lives with his mother, has worked for the Albany Police Department for about three years. Recently, he had been working as a clerk in the detective office.
Authorities close to the investigation said they expected to execute search warrants at his home overnight Wednesday, in part to determine whether Donnelly may have taken other items from the Albany Police Department or State Police.
"If we have issues regarding breach of security concerning State Police installations, then that will be dealt with internally," Loszynski said. "In fact, we're dealing with it right now." Brendan Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com.
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