SEYMOUR – A town police officer was charged April 13 with stealing about $32,000 from the Seymour police union.

Officer Justin Quilty, 35, is charged with first-degree larceny, according to a prepared statement issued Tuesday (April 14) by Seymour Police Department Chief John Bucherati.

The charge is a felony.

Quilty is the former president of the police union in Seymour. The Valley Indy reached out Tuesday morning to a lawyer listed as representing him in an arrest warrant.

According to that warrant, some of the money was allegedly used on DraftKings, a gambling website.

The investigation was triggered by members of the executive board of Seymour Police Department union. 

The executive board was notified Oct. 1, 2025 by the National Fraternal Order of Police that the local union’s dues “had not been paid in months,” and that the union was at risk of losing legal defense services, according to a warrant authored by state police Detective Michael Vance.

Quilty was union president of the Seymour union at the time. He has sole access to two union financial accounts, according to the warrant: a Venmo account and an Ion Bank account.

The union began an internal audit and were told by Ion Bank officials that there was $114,000 in the account. However, the union said there was supposed to be $170,000 in there.

Union leadership also learned a debit card had been issued for the Ion Bank account. That was a concern, because no one had authorized it, according to the arrest warrant.

Another, unnamed police union leader was shown ATM withdrawal surveillance video by Ion Bank around Oct. 14, 2025. The union leader “was able to identify that the person making the cash withdrawal was Quilty,” according to the warrant.

“That same day, upon learning of the audit and pending investigation, Quilty resigned as union president,” according to the warrant.

The investigation snowballed, with the union’s executive board revealing a Venmo account that was used to withdraw union funds was also allegedly tied to Quilty.

State police got involved Oct. 23, 2025 at the request of the Ansonia-Milford Judicial State’s Attorney’s Office. That office had been contacted by Seymour police.

State police issued a number of search warrants that allegedly showed a series of ATM withdrawals, along with Venmo and bank transfers, were all going into Quilty’s personal bank account.

The deposits ranged from Dec. 1, 2024 through Oct. 22, 2025, according to the warrant.

State police “identified a total loss of $32,250,80 from the Seymour Police Union accounts,” the warrant states.

The warrant further alleges that the dollar amounts of some withdrawals from the union accounts not only matched deposits made into Quilty’s personal account – but then matched deposits made from the personal account into DraftKings.

David Parratt, the current Seymour police union president, issued a statement reacting to the arrest.

“The union would like to emphasize that these allegations which led to his arrest do not reflect the integrity, professionalism, or dedication of the men and women of the Seymour Police Department,” Parratt said. “Our officers remain committed to upholding the highest standards of public service and maintaining the trust of the community we proudly serve.”

Seymour Police Chief  John Bucherati said the department is committed to transparency and accountability. 

“These allegations are serious, and we will continue to cooperate fully with the Connecticut State Police while ensuring due process is respected. It is important to note that the actions of one officer do not represent the values of the other sworn officers who serve the citizens of Seymour,” the chief said.

Quilty was hired in Seymour in August 2022. He has been on administrative leave since October 2025.

When a police officer is suspected of criminal behavior by fellow officers in his or her department, it is routine to contact another law enforcement agency to conduct the investigation.