District Attorney Annual Report 2015

The District Attorney is an independently elected public official.  The District Attorney has the sole responsibility for the prosecution of all crimes and offenses which occur within the geographic confines of the county in which he holds office.

The simple fact is that public safety and economic prosperity go hand in hand.  One cannot exist without the other.  For us to prosper as a community, our citizens must be safe.

In 2015 the Ulster County District Attorney budget was $4,123,117.00. Of this total $3,656,679.00 was for personnel expenses. In 2015 our office received $626,600.00 in non-forfeiture, non-county taxpayer revenues.

The Department of Social Services: Investigation and prosecution of social services fraud, prosecution of deadbeat child support obligators, and our joint task force regarding Crimes Against Children through the Child Advocacy Center (CAC).

Police agencies: We work hand in hand with all police agencies that serve the people of Ulster County in training, investigations and prosecution of all criminal behavior committed in Ulster County.

State agencies: We collaborate with NYS Department of Tax and Finance, the NYS Comptroller’s Office and the NYS Attorney General’s Office.

Federal agencies: We work with the US Attorney’s Office and all federal agencies that assist them, to wit, the US Marshalls, the FBI, Customs and Immigration, Secret Service and AUSA.

In 2015 we filed 146 indictments and 160 Superior Court (felony) Informations.  We conducted 21 felony jury trials which resulted in 17 convictions.  Our overall felony conviction rate including felony pleas was well over 90%.

CARP: (Crimes Against Revenue). Under our Crimes Against Revenue prosecutions we recovered $306,388.00, and procured an additional $168,361.00 in court ordered restitution. Many of our fraud prosecutions are a result of our coordination with Ulster County Department of Social Services investigators. Through this coalition we entered into civil settlements as a result of fraud investigations that did not result in prosecutions but reduced the social services rolls by $42,394.00.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: We continue our fight against domestic violence. Domestic Incident Reports (DIR’s) in Ulster County in 2015 were 1373, the lowest number reported since 2004.  We will continue our focus on domestic violence awareness and prosecution and will continue to work closely with the Ulster County Interagency Council on domestic violence and the Child Advocacy Center.

2015 will stand out as one of the most challenging years in memory in terms of significant felony prosecutions.  In back to back trials, Kenneth Stahli was convicted of the murder of a 2 year old boy and, the following month David Reese was convicted of the murder of a co-worker at the Department of Environmental Protection Agency.  Both defendants received sentences of 25 years to life. A third individual was also sentenced to life for Murder. Basheem Bennett, received a 25 to life sentence regarding an Easter shooting in a New Paltz college bar.

Our Special Victims Bureau Chief was particularly challenged in 2015. In addition to trying the Reese Murder case she prosecuted two sex offenders who received life sentences.  Troy Swartz received a sentence of 25 to life for being a persistent felony offender for his convictions for sexual abuse and strangulation and Kaj Erik Eriksen received a sentence of 25 years to life on his convictions for being a sexual predator.

A number of individuals received significant state prison sentences for Robbery and Weapons possessions.  Devin Gray received 15 years regarding a shooting in Kingston; four individuals were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in a shooting at the “Home” Night Club in Lloyd; Ryan Noval was sentenced to 14 years for a robbery in Ellenville; Ruben Rodriguez was sentenced to 16 years for a Plattekill armed robbery; Malcolm Jemmott received 15 years for weapons possession in a Kingston City case; and Jahson Marryshow received 15 years for arson and bank robbery out of Woodstock. 

2015 also saw a number of significant larceny and fraud convictions including Tonya Valk regarding the embezzlement of $227,000.00; Michael Denardo regarding a $250,000.00 larceny from the Wallkill Fire District and John Benkert for a $320,000.00 larceny scheme out of Kingston.

Our office continues to aggressively prosecute animal cruelty cases and in 2015 we saw the convictions of Matthew Miller and David Moors.

Last year one of Ulster County’s most important criminal justice personnel, Chief Assistant District Attorney John Tobin, retired. John was an integral part of the success we have enjoyed here at the office and we will miss him. Taking over as Ulster County’s Chief Assistant District Attorney is Michael J. Kavanagh.

The extraordinary success we continue to register here at the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office is a testament to the dedication and talent of as fine a group of assistant district attorneys and investigators as there are in New York State.