Orange County District Attorney's Office

09/20/2023

District Attorney Hoovler Announces Two New Criminal Investigators

Both New Investigators Were Highly Decorated Local Police Officers

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, the hiring of two new Criminal Investigators of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Joseph Rutigliano and Michael Decker will join the Office after decorated careers with local police departments.

Mr. Rutigliano recently retired after twenty (20) years with the City of Newburgh Police Department. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Rutigliano was the Department’s Patrol Lieutenant. Previous to that position, Mr. Rutigliano held various leadership and investigative roles in the Department, including four (4) years as Detective Sergeant supervising the work in the Department’s Detective Bureau. Mr. Rutigliano also was directly involved in the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) program since its inception in 2014. The program, the success of which has been credited on a national level, was developed with the goal of reducing violent and gun-related crime.

Mr. Decker recently retired after twenty (20) years with the City of Port Jervis Police Department. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Decker was the Department’s senior Detective and specialized in long term narcotics investigations and major and violent crimes. As part of his tenure in the Department, Mr. Decker was assigned for approximately two years as a special investigator and task force officer with the Orange County Drug Task Force, a multi-agency unit that serves to conduct major and long-term narcotics investigations. Prior to his duties as a detective, Mr. Decker rose through the ranks of the Department as a patrol officer.

District Attorney Office Criminal Investigators are police officers who work to enhance cases for litigation and investigate crimes, sometimes independently, and sometimes in conjunction with other police agencies. They frequently respond and assist at homicide investigations and aid other law enforcement agencies with a diverse range of criminal investigations.

“The institutional knowledge and law enforcement acumen of these two skilled and experienced Investigators will serve the District Attorney’s Office and the people of Orange County well,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Both Joe and Mike are universally respected by their colleagues in law enforcement as well as the prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office. I look forward to their valuable contributions to the Office and to our ability to deliver justice on behalf of the citizens of the County.”

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09/17/2023

Hoovler, Orange County Mental Health to hold Fentanyl awareness event

GOSHEN- Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler will be hosting a Fentanyl awareness presentation and panel discussion to be followed by Narcan training on September 29 at SUNY Orange in Middletown. The event will be co-hosted by the Orange County Department of Mental Health. The presentation....

09/08/2023

District Attorney David Hoovler Announces End of the Third Orange
County District Attorney’s Office Youth Fishing Derby

“Get Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs”

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced the end of the Third District Attorney’s Office Youth Fishing Derby. The Derby ran from April 1, 2023, through September 4, 2023, and was open to children between the ages of four (4) and eighteen (18) who are children or grandchildren of Orange County residents. Winners will be picked next week and notified of their win. District Attorney Hoovler thanked all of the participants and wishes them good luck as the winners are selected.

The Fishing Derby is part of District Attorney Hoovler’s community outreach program. The Fishing Derby encourages the youth of Orange County to participate in an exciting outdoor sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. It is that boredom and anxiety that has led so many of our young people to turn to drug use or gang activity. Sports and other worthwhile activities can help deter young people from those bad choices. The Derby encourages our young people to go fishing and enjoy the outdoors and hopefully avoid drug use.

PRIZE PACKAGE: Each winner will receive an Orange County District Attorney’s Office limited t-shirt and a Mystery Tackle Box Bass Fishing Kit. Bonus prize: The first winner drawn will also receive a $100 gift card. Prizes can be picked up at the District Attorney’s Office by the winners in Goshen or will be mailed to them at the conclusion of the contest.

09/08/2023

District Attorney Hoovler: Middletown Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Handgun Used in Shooting

Defendant Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Thursday, September 7, 2023, Tyshawn Milligan, 23, of Middletown, was sentenced to eight (8) years in prison, and five (5) years post-release supervision in connection with his guilty plea before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in the Orange County Court to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Assault in the Second Degree for illegally possessing a loaded handgun he used to shoot another person in the City of Middletown.

As admitted during the plea allocution and in charging documents filed and comments made on the record in court, on June 14, 2022, police officers in the City of Middletown responded to reports of shots fired. The police located an individual with a gunshot wound to the right forearm. Subsequent investigation led the police to develop Milligan as a suspect after learning that he had an argument with the victim which led to the shooting. After the shooting Milligan fled the scene and was later arrested by the police. Milligan admitted in court to possessing the loaded firearm and causing physical injury to the victim by means of a deadly weapon.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation and arrest of Milligan.

“The proliferation of illegally possessed guns contributes to unnecessary and dangerous violence,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “It is important to identify and prosecute the drivers of violence to keep our communities safe for us all. My Office will continue to hold accountable those individuals who illegally possess guns and who choose to use those guns in dangerous ways. I commend the dedicated work done by City of Middletown Police officers that ensured that this defendant is unable to harm others.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mangold.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

09/07/2023

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Turgaud Dubuisson, 30 of Newburgh; Anthony Dubuisson, 26, of Newburgh; Robert Geter, 46, of Newburgh; Jishid Forrest, 22, of Newburgh and Marlon Tabora, 26, of Newburgh pled guilty in Orange County Court in connection with a wide ranging fraud scheme that spanned from March, 2021 through April, 2022 and which resulted in a total loss of in excess of $250,000 to local businesses. Turgaud Dubuisson, Anthony Dubuisson and Marlon Tabora pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. Jishid Forrest pled guilty to Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. When the defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in December, prosecutors will ask for Turgaud Dubuisson and Anthony Dubuisson to be sentenced to three and one third to ten (3 1/3 – 10) years in prison, Jishid Forrest to be sentenced to two to four (2 – 4) years in prison and Marlon Tabora to be sentenced to five (5) years probation for their roles in the scheme.
As detailed in the indictment and in statements made in court, from March, 2021 through April, 2022, the defendants engaged in a scheme of depositing altered and/or fraudulent checks, belonging to Ironworkers Local 417, and other area businesses, as well as individuals, into various bank accounts, and then withdrew cash from those fraudulent deposits from multiple banks. The defendants, acting in concert with each other, created fake business accounts to facilitate the check deposits. The total amount of forged and altered checks from the Ironworkers Local 417 is in excess of $190,000 and the total amount of checks deposited from all victims is in excess of $250,000.
The investigation was led by the Town of Newburgh Police Department and assisted by the Town of New Windsor Police Department, Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County District Attorney’s Office Investigators, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the NYS Department of Financial Services.
“The admitted conduct of these defendants is as abhorrent as it is brazen,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Sophisticated fraud that targets unsuspecting victims requires careful and dedicated investigation like was done in this case. The members of Ironworkers Local 417, and all victims of fraud, should know that my Office will do everything in our power to identify and hold accountable those responsible for their victimization. I commend the collaborative work amongst our law enforcement partners that helped to see this complicated case through to its rightful conclusion.”
Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory and Chief Trial Assistant District Attorney Richard Moran are assigned to prosecute the case.
A criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

09/02/2023

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler has announced that his Office has hired four new Assistant District Attorneys.

Assistant District Attorney Arman Alpar previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. He obtained his JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2022 and his Bachelor of Science in Geology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Assistant District Attorney Anastasia Goldin comes to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office after having previously served as an attorney with the Rockland County Legal Aid Society since 2016. She received her LLM from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2006 and Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2005.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Jones received his JD in May of this year from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from SUNY Oneonta in 2015.

Assistant District Attorney Azariah McLymore received her JD from North Carolina Central University School of Law in May of this year and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brooklyn College in 2019.

District Attorney David M. Hoovler stated, “New York State has recognized that District Attorney’s Offices throughout the state need more prosecutors to meet the challenges that resulted from the changes to the Criminal Procedure Law that began in 2020. These recent hires are part of our continuing initiative to expand the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with talented individuals to meet these challenges. We will continue to recruit and hire the most qualified prosecutors to better serve the people of Orange County.”

09/01/2023

https://youtube.com/shorts/oJvVJctUXYw

Labor Day Message from the District Attorney

08/31/2023

08/31/2023

Orange County News
For Immediate Release Contact: Ryan Greenbaum
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 845.615.3657, 845.415.0868c

District Attorney Hoovler Detail Prison Sentence in Assault Case

Defendant Sentenced to Maximum Permitted Sentence: 7 Years in Prison

Monroe Man Convicted After Trial of Assault in the Second Degree for Breaking Victim’s Jaw

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Monday, August 21, 2023, Michael Cowan, 37, of Newburgh, was sentenced in the Orange County Court to the maximum permitted sentence of seven (7) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision in relation to his conviction after jury trial of Assault in the Second Degree.
During the trial prosecutors argued that on July 31, 2022, at approximately 9:30 pm, outside of a residence on Hidden Creek Boulevard, in the Village of Monroe, Cowan severely beat the man who lived in that residence. When a witness to the attack yelled at Cowan to stop beating the man while the victim was lying defenseless on the ground, Cowan fled, stating that he believed the man owed him money. The victim suffered serious physical injury as a result of the attack, including a broken jaw, which required multiple surgeries.
Village of Monroe Police Officers executed a search warrant at Cowan’s residence and recovered gloves which had what appeared to blood on them. At the trial prosecutors argued that DNA testing of those gloves, along with other evidence in the case, established that Cowan had worn the gloves during his attack of the victim.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Village of Monroe Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of Cowan.
“Violence is never the answer to settle disputes,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “Repeat felony offenders, such as this one, deserve for their violent actions to be met with stern consequences. The maximum sentence imposed in this case was earned by this defendant’s criminal conduct. I commend the dedicated work of the police and prosecutors in this case that ensured a violent recidivist is no longer free to harm others.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer and Assistant District Attorney Cassidy Turi, who prosecuted the case.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.