Tioga County (NY) Sheriff Gary Howard announced this week that he will not run for reelection. He has been with the department for 50 years and served as sheriff for the last 25 years.
Howard previously announced he would retire in 2020 but changed his mind and went on to win reelection in 2020 and 2023.
Two Republicans launched campaigns to replace him this week. Both formerly worked in the county sheriff’s department.
Frank Lavore is a 25-year veteran of the sheriff’s department. He was a county corrections officer and served in road patrol when he retired as a sergeant. He is currently working part-time in the Owego Police Department.
Shawn Nalepa is a 27-year veteran of the sheriff’s department. He also started his career as a corrections officer and held several positions throughout his career. He retired in 2023 as Captain of Operations. Nalepa is now the training director for the corrections division of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office.
Nalepa, outgoing Sheriff Howard, Tioga County and the sheriff’s department were the defendants in a federal lawsuit brought by a former deputy sheriff in 2022.
The federal jury unanimously ruled that they violated Undersheriff Walter Moulton’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights after he expressed interest in running for sheriff against Howard in the 2020 election.
After being accused of misconduct, Moulton was told to “retire now or you are fired,” according to the filing.
Believing he had no other options, Moulton retired. Because of the accusations, he was removed from a state registry with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
The DCJS maintains the list of all police officers who are certified to work in the state of New York. Moulton was not eligible for any other law enforcement job, including running for sheriff.
The jury awarded him damages of $2 million. The federal jury also determined that he deserved punitive damages. Both sides agreed to a confidential settlement. The terms of the settlement have not been made public by the court.
