Attorney General James Announces Guilty Plea of Correction Officer for Vehicular Manslaughter

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the guilty plea of New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Correction Officer Ryan Bordeau, 25, of Malone, Franklin County, for driving while intoxicated and causing the death of Jennifer Hathorn in Chateaugay, Franklin County, on January 27, 2026.

Bordeau pleaded guilty today to Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree before Judge Craig P. Carriero in Franklin County Court. Judge Carriero remanded Bordeau to the county jail pending sentence. Bordeau is due back in court for sentencing on January 8, 2027. Bordeau has waived his right to appeal.

Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on January 27, 2026, Bordeau was off-duty and driving on State Route 11 in Chateaugay when he lost control of his vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway and crash. Bordeau was intoxicated at the time. Ms. Hathorn was a passenger in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene during the early morning hours of January 28, 2026. No other vehicles were involved.

The New York State Police (NYSP) responded to the scene and later arrested Bordeau and charged him with Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree (a class D felony) and two counts of misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Bordeau was arraigned in Malone Town Court on January 28, 2026, and the court released him on his own recognizance. The OSI was notified of this incident after Bordeau was arraigned and opened an investigation into the death of Ms. Hathorn on January 30, 2026. DOCCS suspended Bordeau after the incident.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.