****UPDATED Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 3:06 PM to correct the relationship between CO Nappi and Captain Cox. Nappi is not Cox’s son-in-law as originally reported; Nappi has a child by Cox’s daughter, and they never married, according to Attorney Joseph Sullivan, who represents the Cox family! ****
Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced that Nicholas Nappi, 33, of Hopewell Junction, was found guilty of Driving While Intoxicated following a bench trial before the Honorable Judge Robert Nachamie on July 8, 2025.
Nappi was arrested on October 11, 2024, after a concerned 911 caller reported a vehicle driving the wrong way up an exit ramp, and erratically along the Taconic State Parkway. Nappi’s erratic driving caught the attention of another driver, who alerted police. The caller followed the car to a Mobil gas station located at 157 Bryant Pond Road in Putnam Valley, where police discovered the defendant unconscious behind the wheel. A DWI investigation conducted by the New York State Police and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office led to his arrest.
What was missing from the announcement and all news coverage of the case up to this point is the fact that Nappi is a Westchester Correction Officer. Could that be because Nappi has a child with the daughter of Westchester Department of Corrections Captain Thomas Cox, whose wife is on the Westchester County Correction Advisory Board and Criminal Justice Professor at Pace University, Kimberly Collica-Cox. The Board was established by then Westchester County Executive George Latimer to advise the Department of Correction on programs and services for inmates, and to help reduce recidivism and improve public safety.
A DWI conviction for a Westchester County Correction Officer is a serious matter that can lead to significant disciplinary action. The Westchester County Correction Department expects its employees to adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, both on and off duty. While a DWI conviction’s specific disciplinary actions are not explicitly detailed in WCDOC policies, the following general principles from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and general New York laws and county policies shed light on potential consequences.
Employees are prohibited from knowingly or willingly violating any law or ordinance of the United States or New York State. A DWI conviction, being a violation of New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law, falls under this category. According to O’Brien & Eggleston PLLC, a DWI conviction can jeopardize a professional license in New York State, including the possibility of suspension or revocation, depending on the profession and the circumstances of the case. Correction officers hold peace officer status under New York State law, according to the Westchester County Government. This status may be revoked or suspended upon a DWI conviction.
In essence, a correction officer convicted of DWI in Westchester County may face severe penalties beyond those applicable to civilians, including potential loss of their professional license and employment, due to the nature of their role and the expectations associated with it. But at sentencing, despite the District Attorney’s Office’s request for a sentence of three years’ probation, the judge instead imposed a one-year conditional discharge.
“This case highlights the dangers of impaired driving and the importance of community members speaking up when they see something wrong,” Putnam DA Tendy said. “Thanks to the quick action of a concerned citizen and the efforts of law enforcement, a dangerous situation was brought under control before anyone was seriously hurt.”
Tendy thanked the civilian witness, the New York State Police, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office “for their cooperation and diligence throughout the investigation.” This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nicole Camillone and Assistant District Attorney Mackenzie Ferguson. District Attorney Tendy expressed his gratitude to the civilian witness, the New York State Police, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office for their cooperation and diligence throughout the investigation.
While there may be no connecting of the dots, one has to ask, are Nappi’s alleged family ties the reason he is still correctly in the employ of the Westchester County Department of Corrections, or the fact that he is actively a Correction Officer in Westchester was left out of all announcements and news coverage? If he weren’t allegedly connected to the Captain, whose wife serves on the county board that advises the WCDOC, would Nappi have received a stiffer sentence, and would the fact that he is a Westchester Correction officer have been buried in all news coverage?
No one was killed thanks to an observant concerned citizen. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 34 persons per day, or one every 42 minutes, pass away in drunk driving accidents in the US. 12,429 persons lost their lives to alcohol-impaired driving in 2023. All of these deaths could have been avoided. Given that he or others could have died, the situation could have been even worse. The public is entitled to answers and better accountability when one of their County Correction Officers is drunk and driving the wrong way up an exit ramp, erratically along the Taconic State Parkway, and the fact that he is a peace officer is buried in the press while he still has a job and gets off with a smack on the wrist.
