Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Anthony Vanriper, age 43, of Pine Bush, was convicted after a jury trial before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in the Orange County Court of all charges against him, including Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct. Vanriper was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury’s verdict and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2026.
As alleged at trial, on December 11, 2024, the Village of Walden Police Department were dispatched to the report of a fight in progress. Upon responding, the police found Vanriper having been physically restrained by several people who said he had started an altercation. Vanriper was told to move along and released without charges. The police returned shortly after in response to allegations that Vanriper was damaging property but he was again told to go home without being arrested. When the police responded, a third time, to a nearby location shortly after they found an erratic, aggressive and non-compliant Vanriper threatening people out front of a gas station. After unsuccessfully attempting to deescalate Vanriper’s behavior, the police attempted to place him under arrest. Vanriper refused to be handcuffed, walked away from police and started to smoke a cigarette and drink from an alcoholic beverage in the gas station. Once additional officers arrived to assist, Vanriper continued to physically resist but was eventually taken into custody and transported to the Walden Police Department. After being placed in a holding cell for arrest processing, Vanriper repeatedly kicked the toilet in the cell, destroying it and causing $875 in damage. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after approximately an hour of deliberation.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Village of Walden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Montgomery Police Department whose work led to the arrest and conviction of Vanriper.
“Police officers do a thankless and often dangerous job every day to make and keep our streets safe,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “There was no reason for the events of this case to have occurred and the defendant’s unjustified conduct deserves to be accounted for. I commend the work of the law enforcement professionals who were involved in this case and I am proud of the dedication of the prosecutor responsible for securing the conviction before a jury of the defendant’s peers.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Anthony Molina 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.
