A corrections officer has been indicted after prosecutors say a fellow officer discovered a laxative pill in her coffee while on duty at the Rockland County Jail
New City, NY — A Rockland County corrections officer has been indicted on multiple charges after prosecutors allege he placed a laxative pill into a fellow officer’s coffee while both were working at the county jail.
Russell Thorne, 63, of Greenwood Lake, was arraigned following a Rockland County Grand Jury indictment charging him with Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, Attempted Assault in the Third Degree, Official Misconduct, Prison Contraband in the Second Degree, Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree and Criminal Tampering in the Third Degree.
According to the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred on Feb. 17 at the Rockland County Jail in New City.
Prosecutors allege the female corrections officer stepped away from her coffee cup during her shift. While the cup was unattended, Thorne allegedly left his assigned post, approached the coffee and placed a small object inside before leaving the area.
The officer later returned and took a sip of the coffee before feeling what prosecutors described as a small hard object in her mouth. After spitting it out, she discovered it was a pill that was later identified as a laxative, according to the indictment.
Authorities said members of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office identified and arrested Thorne later that same day.
In announcing the indictment, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II described the allegations as serious and said workplace misconduct involving law enforcement personnel must be addressed through the criminal justice system.
Walsh also emphasized that the overwhelming majority of correction officers serve with integrity and that misconduct by individual employees should not diminish the work of others in the profession.
Thorne appeared before Rockland County Court Judge David Ascher and was released on his own recognizance.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Kaitlin Deluca is prosecuting the case.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Thorne is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Key Points
- A Rockland County corrections officer was indicted after prosecutors alleged he placed a laxative pill in a coworker’s coffee.
- The incident allegedly occurred Feb. 17 inside the Rockland County Jail in New City.
- The defendant was released on his own recognizance following arraignment.
