NEW CITY, N.Y. — A Rockland County correction officer has been indicted on multiple criminal charges after allegedly placing a laxative pill in a fellow officer’s coffee while on duty at the Rockland County Jail, prosecutors announced.
The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office said Russell Thorne, 63, of Greenwood Lake, was arraigned in Rockland County Court following his indictment by a grand jury on charges including attempted second-degree assault, attempted third-degree assault, official misconduct, second-degree promoting prison contraband, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and third-degree criminal tampering.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred Feb. 17 at the Rockland County Jail in New City. Authorities allege that a female correction officer briefly stepped away from her coffee 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 beverage, prosecutors said. She reportedly felt a hard object in her mouth, spit it out and discovered it was a pill later identified as a laxative.
Investigators with the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office identified Thorne as a suspect, and he was arrested later that day.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II described the allegations as serious and emphasized the importance of workplace safety and accountability within correctional facilities.
“The safety and dignity of every employee in the workplace must be protected,” Walsh said in a statement. “No individual should ever have to endure violence, intimidation, humiliation or abuse while performing their duties.”
Walsh said the alleged conduct went beyond a workplace prank and represented a breach of professional standards and public trust.
The district attorney also noted that the vast majority of correction officers perform their duties with integrity and professionalism, adding that misconduct by any employee must be addressed to maintain confidence in the correctional system.
Thorne appeared before Rockland County Court Judge David Ascher and was released on his own recognizance.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kaitlin Deluca.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.