FORMER STATE CORRECTIONS OFFICER CONVICTED FOR
VIOLENT ASSAULT OF WIFE
Kingston, NY—On February 14, 2024, John Ayers, age 63, of Napanoch, pled guilty to Assault in the Second Degree, a violent felony which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison under New York law. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2024, to two years in state prison with three years of post-release supervision before Honorable James R. Farrell, visiting Judge of Ulster County Court.
The assault arose from an incident of domestic discord on August 17, 2022, in which the victim threatened to leave the relationship. The defendant responded by striking her in the face multiple times with a closed fist. The victim tried to get away but the defendant restrained her and continued his assault on her.
The defendant was a New York State Corrections Officer working in a State prison facility for about twenty-five years.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Luba Reznikova of the Special Victims Bureau. ADA Reznikova became the Director of the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Task Force earlier this year. Her responsibilities include aggressive prosecution of violence against intimate partners. “Violence against women and girls, and all intimate partners, is a human rights violation. Those who commit such offenses must be held accountable,” she said. The trial in the case was scheduled to begin on February 20, 2024.
The defendant was represented by attorneys Dylan Gallagher of O’Conner and Partners, and John Ingrassia of Larkin Ingrassia, PLLC.
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If you or a loved one are experiencing sexual or domestic violence, please call Ulster County Crime Victims Assistance Program at (845) 340-3443, or 911 if you are in immediate danger.
