PUTNAM COUNTY TREATMENT COURT VIOLATORS SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON

CARMEL, NEW YORK – AUGUST 3, 2017: District Attorney Robert Tendy announced today that two Carmel residents were recently sentenced to State Prison for failure to comply with the terms of their agreement with the Putnam County Treatment Court program. Twenty-three year old Amanda Burdick entered the treatment court program on March 20, 2014 after pleading guilty to three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, facing potentially 27 years in state prison if unsuccessful in the program. Had she successfully completed the program Burdick had the opportunity to have all her charges dismissed. After absconding from one treatment facility, Burdick rotated though four additional inpatient facilities but was repeatedly discharged for conduct considered dangerous to other participants. Burdick ultimately exhausted all her treatment options, was terminated from the program, and sentenced to a total of 15 years state prison.

Sixty-eight year old Thomas Coviello was terminated from the program and sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years state prison. Coviello entered Treatment Court on December 4, 2014 after pleading guilty to one count of Felony Driving While intoxicated and an admission to a violation of probation. On January 10, 2017 Coviello was arrested for Operating an Unregistered Motor Vehicle and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh degree, in violation of his agreement which prohibited him from driving.

Tendy commended the sentences imposed by the Honorable James Reitz. “Too many lives are lost to addictions,” Tendy said. “Treatment Court is an opportunity, but if you abuse that opportunity, if you violate the conditions of the program and place other participants at risk, you will go to prison.”

The treatment court program seeks alternative methods for helping drug addicts caught up in the legal system through a rigorous two year program designed to allow participants to avoid prison and become productive members of the community.

The cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Breanne Smith.

17-014 – PUTNAM DA PRESS RELEASE-Amanda Burdick and Thomas Coviello