Kingston, NY— Christian Fernandez, age 27, of Fishkill, NY was sentenced in Ulster County Court on March 10, 2025, before the Honorable Bryan Rounds to 1.5 to 3 years in prison following his guilty plea to the charge of Aggravated Harassment of an Employee by an Inmate. Fernandez deliberately threw urine on the mouth and clothing of a Correctional Officer while they were in the medical unit of Eastern Correctional Facility in. A lab report from the New York State Police Crime Lab confirmed the substance was urine.

District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji said, “This dangerous and degrading conduct against a Correctional Officer must be treated seriously; it’s easy to see or imagine what can happen if the officer responds in kind or self-defense. Protecting officers against such conduct is imperative to the safety and security of any facility.”

This sentence will run consecutively to the 10-year prison sentence the defendant is currently serving.

Deputy Chief ADA Paul Derohannesian prosecuted this case. Defendant was represented by Tom Melanson of the Ulster County Public Defender's Office.

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