Corrections Officer Arrested After Slipping Laxative Into Coffee Of Fellow Officer: Rockland DA

NEW CITY, NY — Orange County corrections officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law, after an act of workplace bullying that left a colleague shaken, but luckily unharmed.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced that 63-year-old Russell Thorne, of Greenwood Lake, was arraigned after an indictment by a Rockland County grand jury.

Thorne, who is a correction officer employed by the Rockland County Jail, was indicted on second-degree attempted assault; third-degree attempted assault; official misconduct; second-degree prison contraband; second-degree obstructing governmental administration; and third-degree criminal tampering.

He appeared before a judge in Rockland County Court and was released on his own recognizance.

On February 17, the victim reported to work at the Rockland County Jail, in New City, where she works as a Rockland County Corrections Officer.

During her shift, she stepped away from her coffee cup. Prosecutors say that Thorne, while on duty, abandoned his post to approach the victim's unattended cup of coffee, and then put a small object into the cup and left the room. The victim returned, took a sip of the coffee, at which point she felt a small hard object in her mouth, according to investigators. After spitting out the object, she saw that it was a pill, which was later identified as a laxative, according to the DA.

Thorne was identified and arrested by members of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office the same day.

"The safety and dignity of every employee in the workplace must be protected," Walsh said. "No individual should ever have to endure violence, intimidation, humiliation or abuse while performing their duties. These allegations of criminal conduct are serious, and my office will pursue this matter fully and fairly through the judicial process. The alleged conduct is not a prank or poor judgement; it is an act of humiliation, violence and exploitation. This indictment reflects our commitment to ensuring accountability wherever workplace violence occurs, be it within our Correctional facilities or any other worksite. Women, our spouses, mothers and daughters who serve in law enforcement and every other occupation have the right to work free from fear of harassment, humiliation and violence. We recognize that the vast majority of Correctional Officers serve with horo and integrity under incredibly difficult conditions and we must never let the unlawful action of any one individual diminish the dedication of the many who serve. However, we must prosecute any misconduct by correctional staff because ignoring criminal behavior within the walls of the Rockland County Correctional Facility compromises the safety of every decent Correctional Officer and betrays the public trust."