ITHACA, NY (WENY) -- Ithaca's acting police chief and two lieutenants have been cleared of any wrongdoing, following a months-long New York State Police investigation into allegations overtime fraud.

The Ithaca Police Benevolent Association announced the outcome of the investigation Monday. The investigation was launched after an anonymous email was sent to Ithaca Common Council Alderperson Cynthia Brock. The email alleged that Acting Chief John Joly, and Lieutenants Jacob Young and David Amaro of receiving pay from the City of Ithaca as well as New York State for the same job, during a period of time between 2014 and 2019.

In the email, the writer alleges that Joly, Young and Amaro were paid by the state of New York for active shooter training. The accuser says the three officers "lied to IPD and the city to get paid by the state and city for the same training-essentially 'double dipping' time. They would come in on days off and do their work for the state and bill the city claiming it to be SWAT overtime."

The PBA says the complaint was brought to the District Attorney's office, and city's Human Resources director, before being forwarded to the state Attorney General's Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office. The LEMIO reviewed the complaint, and declined to investigate, according to the PBA. NYSP took on the investigation, at the request of the district attorney.

On Sunday, the PBA says it was notified by District Attorney Matthew VanHouten that the NYSP investigation revealed no evidence to support any of the allegations made against Joly, Young, or Amaro. 

PBA President Thomas Condzella says he believes the person who made the allegations had a personal vendetta against the three officers, and demands the attacks on police officers and the Ithaca Police Department come to an end.

"All the ghost writer accomplished here was successfully misappropriating county and state level law enforcement resources. They succeeded in putting an immense amount of stress on my members, Acting Chief Joly, and their families. At a time when we can't afford to lose more cops, they've also succeeded in pushing Dave and John to seriously consider resigning from the Department, and they've succeeded in pushing Jake to retire when he otherwise might have stayed," Condzella said.

Condzella went on to say the PBA is calling on the District Attorney's office to continue the investigation to identify the source of the complaint, and determine if there are any other complaints against officers that need to be investigated. 

"My members and the public also deserve to know the true motivations of the person that made this complaint, we all deserve to know if they were genuine. Based on the email alone, and the findings of the investigation, the only conclusion we can make is that this was a malicious personal and politically motivated attack," Condzella said.

The investigation coincided with Ithaca Mayor rescinding her nomination of Joly for Chief of Police. He was appointed Acting Chief in April 2021, after the retirement of former Chief Dennis Nayor.