Miscione: New Hartford Worker Was “Set Up” Before ICE Detention

Former New Hartford Supervisor Paul Miscione says a former town employee accused of falsifying time records was unfairly targeted during a political investigation that he believes was really designed to damage him during a bitter local election fight.

The allegations involve 46-year-old Edgar Lopez-Duran of Utica, a carpenter who worked for the Town of New Hartford between June and September of 2025. Prosecutors say Lopez-Duran collected more than $3,000 in pay for hours he did not work by submitting false time sheets.

Lopez-Duran was originally charged with third-degree grand larceny, third-degree corrupting the government and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. A Oneida County Grand Jury later indicted him on one count of third-degree grand larceny and six counts of first-degree falsifying business records.

Authorities allege Lopez-Duran falsified payroll records over several months while employed by the town. He was arraigned in Oneida County Court on April 24 and released pending future court appearances.

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But during an interview Thursday on WIBX’s Keeler in the Morning, Miscione painted a far different picture, claiming Lopez-Duran became collateral damage in an effort to find criminal wrongdoing involving him personally. 

“This started out with them saying Edgar was working for me while he was on town hours,” Miscione said on the program. “I guess their investigation proved that wasn’t true, so they had to do something.” 

Watch the May 14, 2026 Interview on the Keeler Show

Miscione described the 2025 supervisor’s race as deeply divisive and said political tensions inside town government intensified after he became involved in a separate town clerk race. According to Miscione, that’s when relationships inside Town Hall began to deteriorate.

He claims investigators tried to pressure Lopez-Duran into cooperating against him and even discussed having him wear a wire. Miscione said he believes authorities were searching for evidence involving town contracts, referrals or side deals, but never found any.

“I don’t know anybody that doesn’t like Edgar,” Miscione said. “He was used as a pawn to get me.” 

Much of the case centers on disputed time cards, including one week prosecutors say Lopez-Duran claimed work hours while on vacation. Miscione argued the situation was far more complicated than prosecutors have publicly described.

During the interview, he alleged town staff members helped prepare Lopez-Duran’s paperwork and may have even corrected time sheets before asking him to sign them. Miscione referenced what he described as a text message sent to Lopez-Duran saying there had been an issue with a time card but it had already been taken care of. 

He also claimed Lopez-Duran had accumulated enough comp time, sick time and vacation time to offset the disputed amount. Miscione further argued Lopez-Duran was never reimbursed for mileage while using his own vehicle for town-related work. 

The former supervisor repeatedly described Lopez-Duran as a respected contractor who had lived and worked legally in the United States for decades. He said Lopez-Duran had legal work authorization, owned a business and raised a family in the Utica area. 

At one point during the interview, Miscione accused investigators of conducting what he called a “rogue mission” without proper oversight. He also questioned why the case was not referred to an outside prosecutor because of local political ties. 

The interview took another turn when Miscione said Lopez-Duran has since been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred to a detention facility in Batavia, New York. Miscione urged Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville to seek a court order bringing Lopez-Duran back to Oneida County for trial before any deportation proceedings move forward. 

“If he’s guilty, they deport him, that’s justice,” Miscione said. “If he’s not guilty and they don’t deport him, that’s justice.” 

Throughout the discussion, WIBX host Bill Keeler noted listeners were only hearing one side of the story and said the District Attorney’s Office may respond publicly after pending court proceedings are completed. 

The allegations raised by Miscione regarding political motivation, investigative misconduct and the handling of payroll records have not been proven in court. Lopez-Duran remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.