A Mount Vernon police officer, once celebrated as a hero for rescuing a family from a house fire, now faces serious charges. Westchester County prosecutors have accused Brandon Hunter-Carney of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme to defraud an Alabama company of $800,000.

Hunter-Carney, aged 26, has been charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property. Authorities allege he created a fake business to cash a substantial check intended for a legitimate Alabama company with the same name. As a result of these allegations, he has been suspended without pay from his duties.

Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace expressed her dismay in a statement, noting, “The defendant stole over $800,000 from an unsuspecting business as part of a brazen check-fraud scheme. This is totally unacceptable and represents a serious breach of trust by an individual who would later swear an oath to uphold the laws of this state.” She emphasized the importance of accountability, declaring, “No one is above the law. No one is above accountability.”

Prosecutors detailed how Hunter-Carney allegedly came into possession of a check worth $800,160, originally intended for Electric Controls and Systems, Inc., based in Alabama, in January 2023. He purportedly registered a company with the same name in New York State, appointing himself as the sole officer, as outlined in the criminal complaint.

According to prosecutors, Hunter-Carney somehow got a hold of a check for $800,160 made out to an Alabama company named Electric Controls and Systems, Inc., in January 2023.

He then allegedly registered a company by the same name in New York state and listed himself as the sole officer of the company, according to a criminal complaint.

Hunter-Carney then cashed the check in his company’s name and pocketed the cash, the DA said.

The alleged scam marks a fall from grace for the cop, who earned praise last year when he jumped into a burning house on North Macquesten Parkway in the Westchester County city, WPIX-11 reported.

“That’s when I climbed to the porch level of the house,” the he told the outlet at the time.

He was arraigned in Mount Vernon City Court on Wednesday and released without bail, and is now due back in court on May 13, prosecutors said.