The New York State Police announced on Sunday, October 25, 2026, that Lt. Col. Jared W. Duffy, chief of staff to Superintendent Steven G. James, has been suspended without pay, and that the agency has asked the FBI's Albany Field Office to take over an investigation involving him.

Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Investigators searched Duffy's home in Colonie, a suburb of Albany, on Tuesday under a court-authorized search warrant executed by the State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Duffy was reportedly taken into custody and interviewed by state police, according to reporting by the Albany Times Union. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the handover, saying the State Police contacted FBI Albany last week to request that it adopt the investigation, and declined further comment because the investigation is ongoing.

Citing multiple police sources, the Times Union reported that the investigation centers on whether sexually explicit images of children were accessed or downloaded. That focus is an allegation reported by the newspaper's sources; it has not been established in court. No charges had been filed against Duffy as of Sunday afternoon, October 25. Duffy joined the State Police in 2002 and has served as the superintendent's chief of staff since October 2024.

Source: Albany Times Union

In a development reported by the Times Union on Sunday, Duffy's brother, Buffalo attorney Trevor Duffy, provided the newspaper with documents which he said indicate that a dormant X account Jared Duffy created in 2009, and an old Yahoo email account used to set it up, were both hacked in September. According to the brother's account, about ten days after control of the accounts was lost, around September 22, the hijacked X account was used to promote illicit content related to sexual images of children, and other accounts then promoted those posts. Trevor Duffy told the newspaper he came forward on Sunday without his brother's authorization. His hacking account is a claim supported by documents he provided; investigators have not publicly confirmed or rejected it.

The State Police and the FBI have not announced any timeline for the investigation, and Awaaz Punjab will update this story if charges are filed or the agencies issue further statements.