Plea Deal For Rockland Corrections Officer In Harassment Case

NEW CITY, NY — John Kezek, a former Rockland County Corrections Officer, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of tampering with public records, a felony, and one count of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

Kezek, was accused of sexually harassing minority female inmates. He faced 26 counts of tampering with public records, 26 counts of falsifying business records and 26 counts of official misconduct.

As a part of his plea, Kezek, now a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, admitted exposing himself to a female inmate on Nov. 27, 2019 and making false entries into the records maintained by the Correctional Division of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office.

“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that the mistreatment of prisoners will not be tolerated in Rockland County," said District Attorney Thomas E.Walsh II. in the announcement. "I want to reiterate to the residents of Rockland that the men and women of the Rockland County Corrections Division are true professionals. The actions of this individual in no way reflects the values and dedication shown every day by those officers.”

The investigation started after a defense attorney notified the DA's office that her client was a victim of intimidation, misconduct, and sexual harassment. It resulted in charges for Kezek and another corrections officer, Christopher Taggert, who pleaded guilty and resigned.

Kezek is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15. The case is being prosecuted by Executive
Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Devlin and Senior Assistant District Attorney Veronica Phillips.

SEE ALSO:

• Kezek Arraigned On 5-Count Indictment
• Taggart Arraigned On 23-Count Indictment