Islip Conservative Party head faces charges

The head of the Islip Conservative Party is facing a felony charge after being accused of concealing his criminal history. Prosecutors say Michael Torres, 41, had been convicted twice of misdemeanor

News 12 Staff

Nov 7, 2014, 4:22 AM

Updated 3,826 days ago

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The head of the Islip Conservative Party is facing a felony charge after being accused of concealing his criminal history.
Prosecutors say Michael Torres, 41, had been convicted twice of misdemeanor charges, including a gambling arrest and a driving while ability impaired arrest in 2007.
Torres is a senior clerk for the Suffolk Board of Elections, where records show he makes more than $100,000 a year. He is also a member of the Islip Tax Assessment Review Board, where prosecutors say he checked the box "no" when asked about prior arrests.
Torres also applied for various jobs at the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office in 2007 but was rejected according to then-department Chief of Staff Allan Otto.
"Part of the reason Torres was rejected by the Sheriff's Department was because of his criminal record and partly because he wasn't qualified for the jobs he was recommended for, like criminal identification technician and jail cook," said Otto.
Torres' attorney told News 12 that he believes his client will be cleared when all the facts come out.