Orange County News
 For Immediate Release                                                                        Contact: Christopher Borek
 October 16, 2020                                                                             845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c

District Attorney Hoovler Announces Charges in 

Child Endangerment/Social Host Law Case

Town of Goshen Parents Charged with Endangering the Welfare of Child and Related Charges for Hosting House Party Where Alcohol Was Served to Minors, Which  Resulted in One Minor Requiring Medical Treatment For Having Ingested Too Much Alcohol 

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on October 16, 2020, Alissa Pirraglia 46, and her husband, Giovanno Pirraglia, 52, both of the Town of Goshen, have been charged with crimes including Endangering the Welfare of a Child in connection with a party which occurred at their house on August 29, 2020, where alcohol was consumed by numerous minors.   The incident is being investigated by the Town of Goshen Police Department, assisted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.  Complaints filed against the Pirraglias in the Town of Goshen Justice Court allege that up to forty minors were congregating within their residence, openly possessing and consuming alcoholic beverages in the presence of both Pirraglias.  

Both defendants were charged with Endangering the Welfare of Child-Failure to Exercise Reasonable Control of a Minor in relation to their allowing their own underage daughter to provide alcohol to other minors, thereby putting their child at risk of becoming a “juvenile delinquent,” since that conduct constitutes the misdemeanor of Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the First Degree.

One of the minors at the party required medical treatment after having consumed too much alcohol. Both defendants were charged with Criminal Nuisance in the Second Degree for recklessly creating or maintaining a condition which endangered the safety or health of a considerable number of persons, and violation of Orange County’s Social Host Law for knowingly allowing the consumption of alcohol by minors on their premises and failing to take corrective actions.

Alissa Pirraglia was also charged with four additional counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child-Acting in a Manner Injurious to a Child Less than Seventeen for her actions in interacting with the minors as they drank alcohol in her presence.  Both defendants face up to one-year in the Orange County jail if convicted.

The District Attorney’s Office received complaints that witnesses in the case have been  subjected to negative treatment on social media by those who are apparently upset with their cooperation with the investigation. At the District Attorney’s Office request, Orders of Protection were issued in the case. The defendants are next scheduled to appear in the Town of Goshen Justice Court on October 28, 2020.   The District Attorney’s Office is requesting that any member of the public who has knowledge of this incident, or any harassment of witnesses in this case, contact the District Attorney’s Office at (845) 291-2050. 

“Parents cannot allow their premises to be used for the consumption of alcohol by minors,” said District Attorney David Hoovler.  “Underage drinking is not only illegal, it is dangerous. My office will investigate any alleged use of social media to intimidate or harass witnesses.  If any intimidation or tampering with witnesses is established after such an investigation, those individuals will be vigorously prosecuted.” 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mangold. 

A 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.