GOSHEN – An Orange County grand jury indicted a Goshen woman on 20- counts in connection with the deaths of nine horses and the mistreatment of a 10th horse, which survived.
Jeanne Ryan, 51, was charged with 10 felony counts and 10 misdemeanor counts.
“In the State of New York under the Agriculture and Markets law, animal cruelty can be charged and the facts in this case led the grand jury to believe so and the grand jury, through my office, issued an indictment,” District Attorney David Hoovler said.
Ryan was charged with 10 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals in the deaths of the nine horses and the mistreatment of the 10th, which survived. The indictment also charged Ryan with 10 misdemeanor counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.
On July 29, 2017, investigators from the Hudson Valley Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with assistance from Goshen Town Police,
executed a search warrant at a barn located at Ryan’s residence
and discovered the badly decomposed remains of five horses and a severely
emaciated horse.
Ryan was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Goshen Town Court in September. When she appeared in court, the DA’s office announced it would present the case to a grand jury to consider additional charges.
Following the grand jury investigation, it issued a 20-count indictment, which alleges that between March 1, 2016 and July 29, 2017, Ryan subjected 10 horses to aggravated cruelty.
