Nassau police give ‘preliminary findings’ on hacking probe to DA

The Nassau County Police Department presented to district attorney investigators Tuesday its “preliminary findings” into whether County Executive Edward Mangano’s phone was hacked to make it appear as though he exchanged sexually suggestive text messages with a marketing executive, officials said.

The district attorney’s office is reviewing the findings, which is customary in most police probes.

Neither Mangano, who has been interviewed by police investigators twice, nor Karin Murphy Caro of BluChip Marketing, has signed a sworn statement in the police probe, sources said Tuesday.

Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter declined Tuesday to discuss the investigation’s initial findings.

“The Nassau County Police Department met with the district attorney’s office today and has briefed them on the investigation and its preliminary findings,” Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun said in a statement Tuesday.

Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for District Attorney Madeline Singas, confirmed that police and district attorney officials met to discuss the Mangano hacking case, but declined to comment further.

The police briefing comes after the district attorney’s office, headed by Singas, a Democrat, said last week it had offered to aid with the investigation of Republican Mangano’s claims, “but have not been asked to assist.”

Nassau Det. Sgt. Patrick Ryder, who is the lead investigator in the hacking case, personally briefed district attorney investigators Tuesday on the police probe at the district attorney’s office, sources said.

The investigators who were briefed include Daniel Rizzo, the district attorney’s chief investigator, according to sources.

Singas did not attend the briefing, sources said.

Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin said, “The county executive will issue comments after the police have released the findings of their investigation.”

The police began investigating Feb. 4 after receiving a “criminal complaint” from Mangano alleging his iPhone was hacked.

The complaint came after WCBS-TV reported that Mangano and Caro, president of the Hauppauge-based firm, exchanged sexually suggestive texts.

Police and Mangano himself initially said he filed a “criminal complaint,” indicating a written document, but police later admitted Mangano had only verbally reported the alleged crime to police.

Krumpter has said if the investigation reveals any wrongdoing by Mangano — for example, filing a false police report — the case will be referred to another agency.

Both Mangano and Caro, who was awarded $48,500 in county contracts without undergoing a competitive bidding process, have denied exchanging any messages.

Mangano has said he was hacked or “spoofed” and blamed political enemies for trying to embarrass him.

The county executive, swarmed by reporters at a public event last week, said: “It’s somebody that’s out there getting their jollies, taking down, ya know, a public official. We’re vulnerable, you’re in the public spotlight and this is some sick, warped individual and you’re all helping them get a real hardy laugh.” He later declared: “I’ve never sexted.”

The district attorney’s office last week subpoenaed the county for the Caro’s contracts, sources have said.

The county legislature’s Democrats have criticized the awarding of contracts to Caro, who was cited as being “uniquely qualified” to provide her marketing services to the county.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.