BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that a New York State Police trooper, 35-year-old Rosalia Flower of Lancaster, has resigned after being convicted of leaking confidential information and jeopardizing a narcotics investigation in Western New York.
According to the AG, Flower was assigned to monitor wiretaps during an investigation led by the OAG's Organized Crime Task Force that resulted in the indictment of 17 individuals for narcotics trafficking. While monitoring the wiretaps, Flower used her personal cellphone to take photographs that contained confidential information and shared at least one in a text message with a friend.
The AG said the leaked photograph was shared with targets of the investigation and caused part of the investigation to shut down. Flower pleaded guilty to attempted tampering with physical evidence and resigned from NYSP.
“We hold our law enforcement professionals to the highest standards and trust them to keep New Yorkers safe. This investigation was compromised because a trooper flagrantly disregarded her duty and put law enforcement officers and New York families in danger. Despite this leak, our investigators continued their hard work and were able to successfully arrest 17 individuals for their role in narcotics trafficking. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue working to keep dangerous narcotics out of our communities.”
“The New York State Police does not tolerate wrongdoing by its members – especially when that wrongdoing breaks the law. Once we confirmed Trooper Flower’s actions, we pursued this investigation with the same focus and intensity as any other criminal case, committed to uncovering the truth. Trooper Flower’s actions do not reflect the values of the State Police or our members, who do outstanding work each day to keep our communities safe. I thank the Attorney General’s Office for their continued partnership and support throughout this investigation.”
