Orange County News
 For Immediate Release                                Contact: Christopher Borek
 Friday, September 03, 2021                     845.291.3276, 845.238.4245c

District Attorney Hoovler Announces Arrest in 

Forgery of Documents Submitted to Orange County Court

Defendant Alleged to Have Prepared and Filed False Documents to Cover
 for His Failure to Appear in Court in Domestic Violence Case

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, on Thursday, September 2, 2021, announced the arrest of Sean Doyle, age 38, of Goshen, in connection with the filing of false documents in Orange County Court, documents designed to excuse his failure to appear in court for a conference on a domestic violence case. Doyle has been charged with Forgery in the Second Degree. He was arraigned on September 1, 2021, by Wallkill Town Justice Peter Green through the Orange County Virtual Central Arraignment Part, and was ordered to be held in jail in lieu of posting bail or bond, pending further proceedings in Goshen Village Court. 

Doyle was previously charged in Orange County Court with various offenses, including strangulation, assault, and criminal mischief, arising from his attack on his then-wife, News 12 reporter Blaise Gomez. Several days after Doyle failed to appear in court for a scheduled conference on that case on April 30, 2021, his attorney submitted to Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown a letter, purporting to be from a physician at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Syracuse, and indicating that Doyle had tested positive for COVID-19 and was, therefore, unable to appear on the court date. Investigation revealed that the letter was, in fact, not prepared by the physician, but was prepared by Doyle and another person, and that Doyle was actually vacationing in the State of Florida when he was supposed to be in court. 

“Our court system is designed to, and does operate efficiently,” said District Attorney Hoovler, “but to maintain that efficiency, the system has to have accurate information. When people provide the courts with false information that delays the adjudication of cases, every litigant suffers from that delay. It is especially egregious when those before our courts falsely use the COVID pandemic as an excuse for misbehavior related to their cases. We will continue to be vigilant in seeking out those who provide false information to authorities, and to prosecute wherever it is appropriate to do so.” 

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Milza. 

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.