In a recent announcement, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II disclosed the conviction of Darius Williams, a 34-year-old resident of Spring Valley, New York, on six felony counts. These charges stem from a series of criminal incidents that occurred within the Rockland County Jail throughout 2023. The two-day non-jury trial was presided over by the Honorable Kevin Russo.
The convictions are the result of Williams’ actions on four separate occasions during his incarceration in Rockland County Jail in 2023.
On January 11, 2023, Rockland County Sheriff’s Corrections officers conducted a cell search in Williams’ cell. During the search, they uncovered a white shank with a metal tip hidden in Williams’ jail-issued jacket, considered contraband within the facility. This led to his conviction on the charge of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree.
On February 15, 2023, while being escorted to his cell, Williams assaulted a Sheriff’s Corrections officer by punching him in the face immediately after his handcuffs were removed. A struggle ensued, resulting in another officer’s injury, who had to be treated at a local hospital. Williams was convicted of two counts of Assault in the Second Degree.
Two days later, on February 17, 2023, Williams attacked Corrections officers again when they responded to his cell to fix a broken door. He punched one officer in the face and lunged at another, leading to another struggle and an injury to a Corrections Sergeant. Williams was convicted of Assault in the Second Degree for this incident as well.
On July 31, 2023, Williams was discovered with a weapon in the Rockland County Jail while changing into civilian clothes for a court appearance. A screw wrapped in a ripped shirt and toilet paper was found in his sock, classifying it as prison contraband and a weapon. Williams was found guilty of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree for this incident.
District Attorney Tom Walsh stated, “The defendant in this case, while incarcerated at the Rockland County Jail, has on multiple occasions attacked and injured Rockland County Sheriff’s Corrections officers. The defendant has now been convicted, and he will be held fully accountable for his actions.”
Darius Williams was convicted on the following charges:
– 1 count of Promoting Prison Contraband in the 1st Degree (D Felony)
– 1 count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd Degree (D Felony)
– 2 counts of Assault in the 2nd Degree (D Felony)
– 1 count of Assault in the 2nd Degree (D Felony)
– 1 count of Promoting Prison Contraband in the 1st Degree (D Felony)
Williams is scheduled for sentencing on March 13, 2024, and faces a maximum of seven years in state prison on each count of Assault in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, and Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree. At the time of this conviction, Williams was already serving a sentence in a state correctional facility following a separate jury trial in July of 2023, where he was convicted of Assault in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon for an unprovoked assault in the Village of Haverstraw.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicole Garcia and Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily McNiff prosecuted the case.
Since when is prison violence news?