Federal agents stormed a quiet upstate New York property Tuesday in a jarring show of force tied to the widening criminal case against actor Timothy Busfield, even as the actor was already in police custody thousands of miles away.
According to the New York Post, heavily armed members of the U.S. Marshals Service descended on Busfield’s residence in Highland Lake, New York, a rural area in the Catskill Mountains near the Pennsylvania border.
The raid unfolded less than an hour after Busfield had voluntarily turned himself in to authorities in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The outlet reported that at least 10 officers from the New York Regional Fugitive Task Force arrived at the home wearing helmets and riot gear and carrying assault rifles. Agents allegedly used a battering ram to break through the front door before entering the house.
Once inside, officers searched the residence for roughly 10 minutes but did not find anyone there. The team then expanded the search to the surrounding property, including an RV parked behind the house and a nearby outhouse, the report said.
Despite the aggressive entry and sweep of the property, agents reportedly did not remove any items before leaving. They departed approximately 20 minutes after arriving.
The raid came shortly after Busfield surrendered to the Albuquerque Police Department, where he is accused of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys while directing the FOX series “The Cleaning Lady” in 2024.
Busfield, 68, has forcefully denied the allegations.
“They are all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys,” Busfield said. “And I’m going to fight it. I’m going to fight it with a great team, and I’m going to be exonerated. I know I am because this is all so wrong and all lies.”
The actor, best known for roles on “The West Wing” and “Revenge of the Nerds,” is married to former child star Melissa Gilbert. He faces two counts of criminal misconduct against a minor, one for each child, according to a warrant issued by New Mexico police.
Court documents allege the abuse began in 2022, when the boys were 7 years old.
The investigation was launched in 2024 after a physician contacted law enforcement following an examination of one of the children at the University of New Mexico Hospital, according to the complaint.
Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, has pushed back hard against the accusations. Stein told The Post that the claims stem from retaliation rather than misconduct.
According to Stein, the boys’ mother allegedly expressed a desire for “payback” after her sons were removed from the show’s final season. Stein further claimed that attorneys for Warner Bros., the studio behind “The Cleaning Lady,” informed police that a prior independent investigation found no evidence supporting the allegations.
The case remains ongoing as Busfield awaits further court proceedings.
