Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced the indictment and arraignment of Rockland County Corrections Officer Russell Thorne, 63, of Greenwood Lake, who is accused of placing a laxative pill into a fellow officer’s coffee while on duty at the Rockland County Jail.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on February 17, 2026, when a female corrections officer briefly stepped away from her coffee. Investigators allege Thorne left his assigned post, approached the unattended cup, and placed a pill inside. The officer later discovered the object after taking a sip of the coffee, and it was subsequently identified as a laxative.
A Rockland County Grand Jury indicted Thorne on charges including Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, Attempted Assault in the Third Degree, Official Misconduct, Prison Contraband in the Second Degree, Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, and Criminal Tampering in the Third Degree.
The case was investigated by the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office. Thorne was arraigned before Rockland County Court Judge David Ascher and released on his own recognizance. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kaitlin DeLuca.
Authorities noted that the charges are accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
I wasn’t there to see what happened between those two officers, but speaking as a retired NYS Correction Officer, I can tell you this: situations like this usually run much deeper than a simple prank.
Anyone who has worked behind the wall knows that joking around is part of the culture. In fact, what’s being described here is pretty low on the scale compared to the pranks COs normally pull on each other. That doesn’t excuse bad judgment, but it does put things in perspective.
That’s why I believe there has to be more to the story. If discipline is needed, fine — take some vacation days from him, suspend him for 30 days without pay. But destroying a man’s career and hurting his family over something like this feels excessive. There’s a difference between holding someone accountable and ending their livelihood.