New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda defended himself Tuesday against allegations that his office was searched by the Department of Investigation regarding the handling of cash seizures from illegal cannabis shops.

Reports alleged the DOI searched the sheriff’s office headquarters in Queens after Miranda discovered cash from recent illegal cannabis shop raids inside a safe in the building.

During an interview on “Mornings On 1,” Miranda denied these claims and stated that he had invited the DOI to the location.

“Our office has never been raided by anybody. When we discovered something, we notified the Department of Investigation, had them come in while we were conducting an internal audit of our own facility,” he said.

What You Need To Know

  • Reports alleged the DOI searched the sheriff’s office headquarters in Queens after Miranda discovered cash from recent illegal cannabis shop raids inside a safe in the building

  • During an interview on “Mornings On 1,” Sheriff Anthony Miranda denied these claims and stated that he had invited the DOI to the location

  • Miranda emphasized that cash seized during Operation Padlock to Protect—an ongoing effort to shut down illegal cannabis stores and prevent their reemergence—is carefully documented

  • Miranda said the undocumented funds go back to 2018

Miranda emphasized that cash seized during Operation Padlock to Protect—an ongoing effort to shut down illegal cannabis stores and prevent their reemergence—is carefully documented.

“The process of vouchering money at these locations is well documented. It is on body cameras. The NYPD officer and his supervisor have it on body camera while they count it at the facilities. They bag it up there, seal it at the facilities, and then they transport it back to the precinct. It’s still under NYPD’s control, and they voucher it. So there is no missing money when it comes to what we voucher during Padlock to Protect,” he said.

Addressing where the money discovered may have come from, Miranda said the undocumented funds go back to 2018. He was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams in 2022.

“This is not anything to do with cannabis enforcement,” he said. “It may be bad recordkeeping that led to that discovery. But they still have to conduct the investigation, and that's what they're doing, a forensic audit as to other monies that were discovered in a safe inside our facility. But all the money during [Operation] Padlock to Protect has been accounted for.”

Adams commented on the allegations in late last month, saying he continues to have trust in the sheriff.

“His team with NYPD, they have handled over $78 million in illegal cannabis. I got a lot of confidence in him,” he said.

Reports also alleged that the DOI is investigating Miranda for allegedly soliciting donations to the National Latino Officers Association, of which he is the chair, by promising to overlook certain enforcement issues—an allegation he denied.

“I haven't solicited any money for the National Latino Officers Association for any cannabis operation. So that is a false narrative. It's not true at all. There's no validity to that story,” he said.

Meanwhile, as the Adams administration faces turmoil with several resignations of top officials in recent weeks, Miranda reaffirmed his commitment to Adams.

“The mayor has been committed to making sure to [keep] decreasing crime and fighting these illegal cannabis and ‘ghost car’ operations, and I stay committed to that operation and to the mayor,” Miranda said. “He'll do what's necessary to keep the city safe, and I'm part of his team, and we'll continue to do the job that the sheriff's office is mandated to do.”