MONTICELLO – Sullivan County District Attorney Brian P. Conaty announced the hiring of Eric Lunser to the position of District Attorney Investigator. 

In this role, Investigator Lunser will be responsible for spearheading the creation and implementation of the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office Cyber Investigations Unit (CIU). This newly-created unit is tasked with the forensic extraction and analysis of data contained on digital devices seeking evidence for use in criminal investigations and prosecutions. 

In this vein, DA Conaty secured State grant monies to purchase cutting-edge, specialized technology and associated licenses to equip the Cyber Investigations Unit (CIU). Investigator Lunser joined the District Attorney’s Office after a prestigious twenty-one year career with the NYS Police where he rose to the rank of an Investigator assigned to the Computer Crimes Unit (CCU) responsible for the forensic analysis of digital devices. During his career with the NYS Police, Investigator Lunser earned the distinction of the first member of the NYS Police to earn the International Association of Investigative Computer Specialist Computer Forensic Certified Operator Certification (CFCE). After retiring from the NYS Police, Investigator Lunser gained employment as the Director of FTI Consulting where he was responsible for directing and coordinating high-profile cyber engagements across North America, leading remediation efforts for ransomware and advanced digital forensic investigations, and serving as Threat Actor Negotiator during ransomware and extortion incidents. 

Conaty said: “Investigator Lunser brings extensive experience in digital forensics, cyber invest- igations, and electronic evidence recovery. These skills are essential to track, analyze, and preserve digital evidence that is often critical in modern prosecutions. Today’s criminals are using advanced technology to commit age-old crimes in new and complex ways. Since becoming the District Attorney, it was my vision to develop and adapt this Office’s capabilities to meet these emerging threats head-on. I’m confident that Investigator Lunser will prove to be an asset in this respect, and I’m happy to welcome him to our team.”