Fred Sales announces campaign for Suffolk sheriff

Fred Sales, who has a nearly four decade long law enforcement career, announced he is running for Suffolk Sheriff next year.

Sales, 62, now retired, was a Suffolk County police officer for 32 years and spent six years before that as a state and New York City corrections officer. He is also a former member of the Suffolk PBA board of directors and for 15 year was the union’s liaison to state legislators in Albany.

Sales, an Amityville Republican, said he is running because he is “very troubled” that Sheriff Vincent DeMarco has gotten “a free pass” in the scandal in which ex-Suffolk Conservative Chairman Edward Walsh, a corrections lieutenant, was convicted of illegally collecting more than $200,000 in pay and overtime when he was golfing, gambling g or politicking.

“He was responsible as sheriff to make sure that all employees show up for work no matter their political stature,” Sales said of DeMarco.

Rick Brand