ALBANY, N.Y. -- The former director of a state corrections unit tasked with investigating employee misconduct is facing charges of misconduct himself after a grand jury found he harassed and inappropriately touched an employee, officials said.

James A. Ferro, former director of operations for the special investigations unit of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, was indicted this week on the charges, New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott said in a news release.



Ferro, 55, was in charge of investigations related to misconduct of DOCCS employees, Scott said. Those employees supervise 54,000 inmates in custody at 54 state facilities, and 36,500 parolees.

Ferro was indicted by a grand jury on misdemeanor charges of forcible touching, official misconduct, and second-degree coercion, as well as the violation harassment.

According to Scott, the victim was an employee and his subordinate. Scott said Ferro had a history of assaulting and bullying his own employees. Ferro repeatedly harassed the victim for years and inappropriately touched the victim's genitals in corrections facilities, she said.

He was arrested on Jan. 12



"He was responsible for overseeing investigations of misconduct, and yet he allegedly used his power and authority to commit outrageous offenses against his own employees who felt powerless to stop him," Scott said.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will prosecute the case.

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