Mount Vernon Firefighter Union President Resigns Amidst Gun Trafficking Charges

[oldschool 12]

While Ernie Richardson was sworn into his new job Monday as Mount Vernon's new fire commissioner, investigators were closing in on the man who replaced him in his former role as president of the firefighters union.

Henry Thomas, who replaced Richardson as the union leader of Local 107 on Jan. 1, resigned from the job and the department a week later.

http://westchester.news12.com/news/firefighters-union-head-resigns-amid-charges-1.11315179

[oldschool 12]

New FDMV Union President Resigns & Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Trafficking Charges

Posted on January 11, 2016 by AJ Woodson in BW News

Mount Vernon — New Mount Vernon Firefighters Union President Henry-George Thomas, who replaced Ernest Richardson as the union leader of Local 107 on Jan. 1, resigned from the job and the department a week later. The older brother of Mayor Richard W. Thomas, Henry-George, plead guilty last week to federal gun trafficking charges.

“It’s a serious matter before the court,” Mayor Thomas shares BW over the phone, Monday night. “When Commissioner Kelly made me aware of the situation, I instructed him to take immediate action.”

Ernest Richardson, the former Local 107 President, was sworn in Monday morning as Deputy Fire Commissioner in the City Council Chambers, after a monthly commissioners meeting. At the swearing-in, the now former union head, wouldn’t comment on the resignation of his successor.

In a statement, new Public Safety Commissioner, Robert Kelly, echoed Thomas comments to BW, “As soon as the mayor became aware of these charges, he directed me to take whatever actions I needed to under the city’s charter. Before we could act, the firefighter in question resigned.”

According to the indictment, Thomas started importing guns from out of the country in 2010 and continued doing so until 2015. Thomas is currently out on bail and awaiting sentencing.

When asked for further details Mayor Thomas simply said, “It’s a personnel matter” and referred me back to Commissioner of Public Safety as it relates to his department.

Public Safety Commissioner Robert “Bob” Kelly, who now heads the Police, Fire and EMS Departments was sworn in, Friday morning in the theater at the Dole Center (250 South Sixth Avenue), along with thirteen new probationary police officers.

[SilentShadow 32]

On Jan. 8, new Mayor Richard Thomas confirmed to the Journal News and lohud.com that Henry-George Thomas, at the time also the Mount Vernon firefighters' union president, had stepped down from his city firefighting post. The mayor declined to comment further, but said his brother's resignation involved a "medical challenge."

Court documents unsealed on Dec. 30, 2015, however, reveal that Henry-George Thomas, a resident of Waterbury, Connecticut, was charged in April 2015 for importing from outside of New York State four guns and ammunition, then selling them to an FBI informant between December 2014 and February 2015. All of the sales took place in Mount Vernon, the documents say.

Last week (the mayor) told The Journal News he was "sorry to see the city lose a firefighter."

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-vernon/2016/01/12/mount-vernon-thomas-brother-gun-charges/78523484/

[CaptainCharisma 34]

Just when the morale couldn't be any lower...BAM! Boom goes the dynamite! These poor guys.

[SilentShadow 32]

These guys elected him President knowing full well the criminal charges? Shows who's in the majority in that Union I guess.

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

http://westchester.news12.com/news/firefighters-union-head-resigns-amid-charges-1.11315179

they made richardson the commissioner?thats politics for you.

[FirNaTine 370]

Just when the morale couldn't be any lower...BAM! Boom goes the dynamite! These poor guys.

Most of them don't care trust me!

[FirNaTine 370]

These guys elected him President knowing full well the criminal charges? Shows who's in the majority in that Union I guess.

Yeah but the Quota was at least reached! That's important!

[KeyboardCommando 2]

Mount Vernon FD employing criminals isn't something new. I'm all for second chances but some of these guys have records with multiple pages!

From 2014:

MOUNT VERNON – A city firefighter was suspended Thursday after he and his wife were accused of attacking a pregnant woman in front of her children in a dispute over a car, officials said.

Clayton, who has been in the Fire Department for six years, has been arrested eight times since 1996.

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/mount-vernon/2014/03/13/mt-vernon-firefighter-wife-charged-assault-pregnant-woman/6372547/

And from 2008....

MOUNT VERNON - One of the city's newly hired firefighters spent time in state prison for selling cocaine while another was busted for having stolen weapons.
The two men are among a crop of eight recruits hired by the city in September, despite the fact that six of them had records of criminal arrests.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20081116/NEWS02/811160361/1018/NEWS02

[nydude2473 79]

This is absolutely ridiculous! Of course they had to know that this was going on to some degree. Guys, who work together countless hours, have to know that this nonsense is going on. They got to stop hiring these guys with felonies and misdemeanors. Look, second chances are cool and all but not when it comes to a job where integrity and responsibility are key things. The keep hiring guys who keep committing these crimes. Take pride in the department and clean house. If this mayor wants to have some new success, he needs to grow a pair and a get a broom and garbage bag and get going. It ain't looking to pretty so far since the this guy is his older brother. They act like they are in such a hell hole. Look at Detroit, those guys are literally in one of the worst places to be in this country, and somehow they are still making it work and trying to improve. Everybody has their internal problems, don't get me wrong, but Mount Vernon acts like they are a third world country. Get a grip!

[kinkchaser 352]

Past performance is one of the most important indicator of future performance.