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Matthew Ryder, Retired Orangetown PD Detective, Named Director of Rockland County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force

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4 years ago

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NEW CITY, NY – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced retired Orangetown Police Detective Matthew Ryder as the new Director of the Rockland County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force. Director Ryder brings more than thirty years of law enforcement and narcotics investigative experience to his new position. He will be tasked with combating the deadly opioid epidemic that has killed over 100 Rockland residents in the past two years.

Ryder started his law enforcement career with the Nyack Police department in 1990 and after the disbandment of that agency, he was hired by the Orangetown Police Department in 1991. He has distinguished himself as an extremely well-respected detective and has received numerous awards and commendations for his outstanding police work and investigations. For the past five years he was assigned to the DEA Task Force in the Hudson Valley Region. While assigned there, he supervised numerous large scale drug investigations and built a rapport with local, state and federal agencies in our area. Those relationships will be an essential part of his new assignment and to our common goal to work together with multiple agencies in order to expand the size and scope of narcotic investigations.

The Rockland County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force is an investigative narcotics unit that consists of investigators of the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, participating Rockland police departments and an agent from the Department of Homeland Security.

District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II. said, “I’m so pleased to announce the hiring of Matt Ryder as the new director of the Drug Task Force. Matt brings experience, knowledge and respect that will enable him to work with law enforcement and the community.  He is a leader committed to serving the residents of Rockland County and the communities impacted by drugs in their neighborhoods. He will lead our multi-agency unit to fight against the opioid epidemic that plagues our county. “

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Crime

Rockland County Court Rejects Convicted Murderer’s Eighth Attempt To Vacate Conviction

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5 days ago

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March 27, 2025

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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II, announced today that, in a decision issued on March 25, 2025, Rockland County Court Judge Kevin F. Russo rejected the latest attempt by convicted murderer Amer Zada to have his conviction vacated. The court noted that this motion is the eighth time Zada has sought to reverse or vacate his conviction.
In 1980, Zada was convicted of the murder of seventeen-year-old Shirley Smith in a Village of Nyack parking lot. He was also convicted of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse as a result of his attack on Ms. Smith. At his trial, Zada was represented by William Kunstler, a world-renowned defense attorney who had gained notoriety for successfully defending many high profile and controversial clients.
In its decision, the court described the defendant’s current motion as being largely based on Zada’s claim that certain documents were not turned over to him prior to trial.
“The court found that Zada had failed to adequately establish this speculative claim as he provided no direct evidence that he had never received the documents. I would like to commend Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan for his dedication and professionalism representing the Office in this proceeding.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh.
The court also found that, even assuming that the documents had not been turned over, they were of little importance in the case against Zada and none of them were exculpatory within the meaning of the law. In addition, the court found that Zada’s motion to vacate his conviction raised only minor inconsistencies in the case against him, most of which were thoroughly explored by Mr. Kunstler during the trial. In conclusion, the court found that Zada had not offered anything to justify vacating his conviction.

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Crime

Ramapo Police Officers Arrest 19 Individuals Over The Weekend From DUI to Domestic Violence

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7 days ago

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March 25, 2025

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This past weekend, your Ramapo officers were hard at work, making 19 arrests throughout the Town. The breakdown includes:
• 10 arrests for suspended licenses or registrations
• 2 arrests on warrants
• 2 arrests for drunk driving, including one with a child in the car
• 1 arrest for open container
• 1 arrest for a forged inspection sticker
• 2 domestic-related assaults with child endangerment
• 1 arrest for domestic-related criminal mischief
All individuals arrested have been processed and cases handed off to the next step in the criminal justice system. It is important to note that a criminal complaint is an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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