ALBANY, NY – Two newly filed lawsuits in the New York State Supreme Court (Albany County) allege that Assistant Attorney General Ryan Abel (Rye) and DEC Corporate Bureau Chief Rebecca (Becks) Denue, along with three other New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff members, have inflicted significant financial harm on a contractor by refusing to release six vessels and causing extensive damage to these boats.
Ongoing Vessel Withholding
The first lawsuit asserts that Abel and Denue are still keeping the contractor’s six brand-new vessels under DEC control, even though the DEC never completed payment under the original contract.
Court documents indicate the contractor relies heavily on these boats for revenue, yet their continued detention has led to mounting losses.
Damaging Use and Modifications
A separate suit accuses William H. Bernard, Dave M. Parker, and Brendan A. Hayes of improperly operating the same vessels, using them for personal “joyrides,” installing unauthorized parts, and painting them without consent.
These actions reportedly voided warranties and caused over $400,000 in damage, further undermining the contractor’s business interests and potential resale value.
Alleged Personal Motives
According to the complaints, Abel and Denue demanded that the contractor drop a pending legal action before they would release the vessels, raising questions about personal or retaliatory motives.
Bernard, Parker, and Hayes allegedly acted outside any legitimate state directive by modifying the vessels for non-official purposes, leading to significant financial fallout for the contractor.
Mounting Financial Harm
The vessels in question are said to generate approximately $3,000 per day each in potential revenue. With no access to them, the contractor claims severe and ongoing monetary losses.
In addition, false statements purportedly made to a major engine supplier could jeopardize crucial business relationships, potentially amounting to over $2 million in further damages.
Legal Status
No formal judgment has been reached on these allegations, and no specific court dates have been announced.
Representatives for Abel, Denue, and the three DEC employees have not publicly commented as of this release.
All parties named in the suits are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless and until proven otherwise in court.
For more details, interested individuals may consult the New York State Supreme Court (Albany County) dockets. Further updates will be provided as the cases progress.
