NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (July 31, 2026) — A Putnam County sheriff’s deputy who previously served as a lieutenant with the New Rochelle Police Department is facing a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing him of planting drugs on a man during a 2024 arrest, even as the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says it retains confidence in him.
The first public statement on Kane by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Brian Hess, was originally reported by the Highlands Current. Read Leonard Sparks’ original story here.
Ivin Harper filed the lawsuit July 13 in U.S. District Court in White Plains against Sean Kane, who joined the Putnam Sheriff’s Office in March. Harper accuses Kane of planting a baggie of cocaine and crack cocaine that led to two felony drug possession charges filed against him in July 2024. Those charges were dismissed about a month later.
Harper is seeking damages from Kane, two other former New Rochelle officers — Timothy Adrian and Maria Vazquez — and Gregory Davis, whom Harper’s lawsuit alleges supplied the drugs. The suit also names the City of New Rochelle, which Harper alleges “perpetuated a culture of rewarding officers for their improper, illegal and unconstitutional conduct.”
A grand jury declined to indict Kane in December 2024 following an investigation by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. But according to Harper’s attorneys, a New Rochelle Police Department investigation found that Kane “admitted he did not see Harper throw the bag of drugs and that an informant (Davis) provided him with the bag of drugs.” That finding was first reported by Robert Cox of Talk of the Sound, who obtained the department’s report through a Freedom of Information Law request.
New Rochelle Police Commissioner Neil Reynolds said in a March 18 statement that the department demoted Kane two ranks, to police officer, and required him to undergo training. Putnam County hired Kane on March 30.
In a statement issued Tuesday, as reported by the Highlands Current, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said it is aware of the lawsuit but declined to comment further because it is not named as a defendant. The office noted that Kane was not charged with a crime and cited his long law enforcement career, saying it has “confidence in Deputy Kane’s ability to serve the residents of Putnam County with integrity and remain committed to ensuring the safety of our community.”
According to the lawsuit, the incident began May 29, 2024, after Harper, a fitness trainer and actor, parked his Cadillac SUV at a New Rochelle apartment complex and Kane approached him. Harper had earlier reported that a relative took the SUV without his consent but said he had since notified police that he recovered the vehicle, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges Harper, fearful because Kane had previously vowed to “get” him or “plant drugs on him,” left the parking lot and hurried away on foot while Kane chased him into a parking garage. Kane then allegedly told other officers to search and impound the SUV for “unauthorized use.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Kane met with Davis, who gave him a bag of drugs, and that Kane’s body camera was “inadvertently” turned on while he pretended to recover the baggie from under the SUV’s left front tire, capturing the alleged feint on video. The Journal News, which reviewed the footage in 2024, reported it shows Kane “holding the baggie in his hand in his car” before “pulling up to a parked car, getting out, reaching under the front of the car and getting back into his patrol car.” The lawsuit alleges the bag Kane had upon returning to his patrol car was the same one he held before approaching Harper’s SUV.
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This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.