In another stunning story out of the deep blue state of New York, a business leader in the town of Clifton Park, NY, was caught by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a sting operation targeting child predators; the business leader, 59-year-old Peter Bardunias, was allegedly trying to sexually abuse a minor. Clifton Park is in Syracuse County, which went heavily for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
The DOJ revealed what happened in a stomach-churning press release on Tuesday, October 7, stating in the release that “Peter Bardunias, 59, of Clifton Park, New York, was charged today with attempting to entice a minor to engage in prohibited sexual activity.” It then went on to describe his horrid alleged crimes.
Continuing, the statement went on to note what it is that made Bardunias a business leader, and the terrible messages he sent, saying, “The criminal complaint filed today alleges that over the past two weeks, Bardunias, a Senior Vice President of Community Advancement for the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, sent messages to an individual he believed to be a 15 year-year-old girl during which he discussed subjecting the would-be minor to violent and sadistic s*xual activity.”
Adding to that, the statement noted that Bardunias said over text that he wanted to inflict various forms of violence upon the young girl. It then added, “On October 6, 2025, Bardunias traveled to Warren County, New York, to meet the would-be minor and brought them candy to make them feel more comfortable. Bardunias was taken into custody shortly thereafter.”
Further, the police raided his home after arresting him, operating with a federal search warrant, and discovered a great deal of paraphernalia and materials consistent with what he said he wanted to do over text, including a “torture chamber” inside his home in which he would have inflicted the horrors on the girl.
Fortunately, Bardunias was captured before he could commit those evil actions. Now he’s facing serious consequences, as the DOJ noted, providing, “The charge filed against Bardunias carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of between five years and life.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, commenting on the situation, noted that this monster was caught before he could do evil, but this should impress upon parents the reality of who is out there, and thus encourage them to watch what their children are up to online. She said, “Parents need to be hyper-aware of conversations their children are having via text or online — predators often lurk behind screens. This man’s alleged crimes are shocking, and our prosecutors will ensure he faces severe consequences for his evil conduct towards an innocent child.”
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Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, for his part, said. “I am thankful that the FBI intervened to ensure that he was unable to follow through in any of this horrific activity with a real minor, and our community is safer tonight because Bardunias is behind bars.”
Further, FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli was quoted in the statement as commenting on the horrible plans that were stopped and vowing that other such monsters would be caught and stopped. He said, “As detailed in the criminal complaint, the allegations against Mr. Bardunias are truly horrific. His intentions were beyond disturbing and have resulted in serious federal charges. The FBI commends the brave individual who contacted us with information that immediately launched this investigation and put an end to these disturbingly sinister plans. We will continue to use every resource available to find and hold accountable any predator looking to victimize our most vulnerable, and we encourage anyone with additional information on Mr. Bardunias to contact our office.”
Watch Tom Homan comment on how ICE is saving children here: