5 days ago
Trail camera catches political candidate stealing opponent's sign, NY police say
A local political candidate in upstate New York has been arrested after state police said a trail camera captured him stealing his opponent's political sign off a lawn.
The sign had been stolen days earlier and trashed, according to New York State Police.
Joseph A. Mooney, 54, a Republican supervisor candidate for the town of Lee, is facing one count of petit larceny, authorities said in a May 28 news release. Lee is about a 45-mile drive northeast from Syracuse.
Mooney, of Ava, has denied wrongdoing in statements shared on his candidate Facebook page since his arrest.
'I see this action as an unfortunate and underhanded attempt to discredit me or pressure me into stepping away from this race,' Mooney wrote of his arrest on May 28.
He declined to provide an immediate comment when contacted by McClatchy News the morning of May 29.
On May 23, a few days before Mooney is accused of taking his political opponent's sign, the other candidate for town supervisor alerted state police, reporting his sign was stolen from his friend's lawn, according to authorities.
The other candidate is Lawrence James 'Jamo' Jones Jr., the Daily Sentinel newspaper reported.
State troopers found the sign supporting Jones in a dumpster behind a business — owned by Mooney, police said. Mooney owns Joey's Pizzeria and Tavern in Lee, according to the Daily Sentinel.
After the discovery, 'troopers returned the sign to the property owner and the sign was placed back on the lawn,' police said.
Jones' friend then set up a trail camera to watch the sign, according to authorities.
The friend called state police again on May 28, saying his camera recorded Mooney stealing the sign from the lawn, police said.
Mooney, however, is maintaining that the property is rented by him and his business.
'Over the weekend, my opponent placed election signs around town, including one on the property where we operate and maintain our business….We were not asked for permission to place a sign there,' Mooney wrote on Facebook.
'As such, it was removed.'
Mooney said that 'a few days later, another sign was placed on the same property — this time with a trail camera nearby.'
'Again, no permission was given, and once more, the sign was removed,' his post continued.
Mooney is calling for the terms of the property's lease to be immediately clarified, writing in another Facebook post that 'statements currently being circulated are false and misleading.'
After Mooney was taken into custody, he was released and issued a court appearance ticket, according to state police. He's due in court at a later date.
