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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced the conviction of Darius Williams, a 34-year-old inmate from Spring Valley, New York, on six felony counts. These charges stem from various criminal activities committed by Williams in 2023 while incarcerated at the Rockland County Jail. The trial, presided over by Judge Kevin Russo, was a two-day non-jury trial.
The sequence of events leading to Williams’ conviction includes:
- January 11, 2023: Corrections officers found a white shank with a metal tip in Williams’ possession during a cell search. This item, considered contraband in a correctional facility, led to a conviction of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree.
- February 15, 2023: Williams assaulted a corrections officer immediately after being uncuffed, resulting in a struggle where another officer was injured and hospitalized for several months. He was convicted of two counts of Assault in the Second Degree under different sections of the penal law.
- February 17, 2023: During a cell door repair, Williams attacked corrections officers, injuring a sergeant who required hospital treatment and subsequent time off work. This incident led to another conviction for Assault in the Second Degree.
- July 31, 2023: A hidden screw wrapped in a torn shirt and toilet paper was discovered in Williams’ sock as he changed for a court appearance. This item, deemed a weapon and prison contraband, resulted in convictions for Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree.
These convictions underscore the challenges faced by correctional facilities in maintaining safety and order and highlight the consequences of illegal activities within these institutions.