58-Year-Old Pleads Guilty To Lying For Friend At Drunken Driving Trial

NEWBURGH, NY — A man who helped a friend by lying under oath is in trouble himself now.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 58-year-old Ruben Cotto, of Newburgh, pleaded guilty on Friday to first-degree perjury and was sentenced to five years of probation.

According to court documents, on January 10, 2021, Cotto was the passenger outside of a vehicle stopped at a green light in the City of Newburgh.

The driver of the vehicle told state police that he was driving Cotto from a party. Troopers found that the driver was intoxicated and arrested him for DWI.

At a bench trial in May of 2022, Cotto testified under oath that he had driven the vehicle and not the man who was arrested. The trial resulted in an acquittal based on Cotto's testimony.

Cotto was himself arrested for DWI on March 17, 2023. During that investigation, Cotto admitted to state police that he had lied under oath at the trial and had not driven the car on January 10, 2021.

During plea proceedings in the perjury case, Cotto admitted to "swearing falsely by giving testimony which was material to the proceeding in which it was made."

DA Hoovler thanked the New York State Police for their investigation which led to the arrest of Cotto.

"A bedrock principal of our criminal justice system is the sanctity of an oath taken in open court," Hoovler said. "Law enforcement, including police and prosecutors, work hard every day to ensure that justice is delivered on behalf of the citizens of Orange County. That work is undermined by the deceitful actions of this defendant. We will not stand idly by and turn a blind eye to anyone who would knowingly lie under oath. I commend the work of the New York State Police, both in the righteous arrest into the underlying matter, as well as the investigation which led to this defendant’s arrest and conviction."